Pregnant Fathers
by Alastair
Summary: What does it take to be a good otousan? Are the Reikai Tantei up to the task? What kinds of otousan would they be? COMPLETE
1. PrePregnancy

*-*-*  
  
Pregnant Fathers  
  
*-*-*  
  
Pre-Pregnancy  
  
*-*-*  
  
What does it take to be a good otousan? Are the Reikai Tantei up to the task? What kinds of otousan would they be?  
  
*-*-*  
  
It was not surprising to learn that Keiko and Yuusuke - three months after their wedding - were expecting a little bundle of joy. They named him Sasuke. Keiko wouldn't accept anything else; she wanted her son to at least have a normal name if nothing else about him was normal. He was an almost exact copy of his chichiue except for the fact that he had dark brown hair like his hahaue.  
  
'Hey, Hiei, when are you going to get a girl, and start a family of your own?'  
  
Kurama's ningen body died only a week later from a accidental discharge from a police officer; it was not a loss, however, Kurama just became his youko self. Soon after, while hunting in the Makai, he met another youko. Within the month, Byakko was pregnant, and, seven months later, their litter of three was born. Kemono, Naji, and Kibaha were all wonderful examples of the beauty of the youko. Kemono, surprisingly, had the same rosey hair of Minamino Shuuichi, and shining emerald eyes. Naji had her hahaue's white fur, and her chichiue's golden orbs. Kibaha looked like neither of his parents, and had dark burnished gold fur with darker brown eyes.  
  
'Where's that family? You know, with the wife and the kids. That whole bit.'  
  
Kuwabara and Yukina had been married a year before Yuusuke and Keiko had, and while Byakko had been pregnant with her litter, Yukina became pregnant. Two months after the kits were born, Yukina gave birth to Hyouchuu and Nohara. Hyouchuu - like all full blooded Koorime - was her hahaue's copy, and Nohara also bore a striking resemblance to her hahaue except for the bright orange hair of her chichiue.  
  
'Gee, we all beat you to it. When are those kids coming, Hiei?'  
  
*-*-*  
  
Now, Sasuke was a happy four-year-old bundle of mischief. Already sporting his chichiue's awesome power, he was causing havoc whenever he could in his neighborhood, much to Keiko's chagrin. The kits were three, and seemed to never want to leave Byakko's side. Kuwabara and Yukina's futago had just turned three, and were having make-believe tea parties, inviting all of their stuffed animals, and Genkai.  
  
Half a year before, Koenma and Botan had wedded, and Botan had an announcement to make at Genkai's shrine.  
  
*-*-*  
  
Otousan, Tousan, Chichiue, Chichi - Father(s)  
  
Okaasan, Okaasan, Hahaue, Haha - Mother(s)  
  
Ningen - Human(s)  
  
Youko - Demon Fox(s)  
  
Koorime -Ice Maiden(s)  
  
Futago - Twin(s)  
  
*-*-*  
  
As Hiei walked into the shrine, he heard little voices from six different thoats cry out, "Ojisan! Ojisan!"  
  
He let them surround him, and walked through the living room, careful to not trip any of them or himself, "It's nice to see you too, minna-chan."  
  
If anything, their smiles grew bigger, their eyes shone brighter, and their voices became louder. Sasuke cried the loudest, "Ojisan, did you get me anything?!"  
  
Hiei sighed, "Yes, I got you all something. Now, calm down."  
  
Giggling, they bit their tongues or lips, and hopped on their toes excitedly. Waiting for their ojisan to give them their gifts. He reached into his small pack, and took out six large bars wrapped in wax paper. Chocolate bars. He handed them out, and the children ran off giggling and saying their thanks.  
  
Sudden thunder shook the house, and the children shrieked along with it, laughing wildly.  
  
Hiei smiled, and followed the voices of Yuusuke and Kuwabara to the dining room. They were all sitting around the table with Genkai sitting at the head. Yuusuke was laughing at Kuwabara for some reason, and Kuwabara was shouting at him.  
  
"You no good punk, Urameshi! That wasn't funny!"  
  
"Sure it was!" Yuusuke finally noticed Hiei, "Hey, you! Quite a storm that's brewing!" Hiei smirked, and nodded, sitting next to him. Yuusuke's already large smile became wider, "I bet from the sound of those kids that you stuffed them with candy again."  
  
Keiko half growled, "Hiei-san, you shouldn't feed the children that junk all the time!"  
  
Kuwabara laughed, "Nah, it's fine, the kids will be all pooped out by the end of the day."  
  
Yuusuke wrapped an arm around his wife sitting beside him, whispering into her ear just loud enough for everyone to hear, "And we all know what that means, don't we?"  
  
Genkai and Hiei rolled their eyes at their laughter, and the old woman said, "Not at my table, usubaka."  
  
The hanyou grinned a cheeky grin, "Sorry, baba, I'll try to keep it rated G for you and Hiei's virgin ears."  
  
Both of their eyes twitched at the same time, and they muttered, "Virgin?"  
  
The smile faded, "Anou . . . gomen?"  
  
"Let us," Genkai began, "ignore the usubaka for a moment. Daioujo-chan, why did you call us here?"  
  
Botan smiled nervously, "I want the children to hear it too. Keiko-chan, can you-?"  
  
"I'll get them," Hiei said, and stood to find the six kids. He followed their giggles to the futago's room, and peeked his head in.  
  
Kibaha and Hyouchuu were talking while the others paid rapt attention, and Kibaha was saying, "-can't marry him, Hyouchuu-chan."  
  
"Why not?" She whined, crossing her arms.  
  
"He's your ojisan."  
  
"Oh, yeah . . . So, who's gonna marry him?"  
  
Sasuke said, "That means that Nohara can't marry him either. Naji's the only other girl. Maybe she can marry him."  
  
They all nodded, and Naji said, "Okay, I'll marry - Ojisan!" The children realized that Hiei was standing in the doorway, and they pushed Naji up to him. She giggled, and said, "Ojisan, can I be your wife?"  
  
"What?! Uh, Naji-chan . . . Kurama!" He almost never called for his friends' assistance except for odd occurences that he couldn't handle, like this one.  
  
Everyone came running - apparently, the storm had made them a bit on edge - and when no youkai popped out of the walls, Kurama asked him, "What's going on, Hiei?"  
  
"Ask your musume . . ." he said.  
  
Kurama turned to his middle child, "Naji-chan, what's going on?"  
  
She frowned, "I asked him if I could be his wife."  
  
The other adults stared at her, and then at Hiei. Yuusuke covered his mouth to cover a snicker, and Kuwabara followed suit. Kurama said, patting her head, "Naji-chan, you can't marry Hiei."  
  
Her eyes filled with tears, "Doesn't Ojisan love me?"  
  
"Ah . . . I don't know if he does." Kurama looked at Hiei, "Hiei?"  
  
That all looked expectantly at him; Hiei's friends gazed down at him, and the children's wide eyes stared up at him, reminding him of two pairs of equally large eyes peering through a clear liquid-like sack.  
  
"Naji-chan, of course, I love you," he said finally.  
  
She wiped away her tears, "Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Botan giggled, "Come on, minna-chan. I have to tell you all something really important. Let's go into the dining room."  
  
They all filed out of Hyouchuu and Nohara's room, and Botan led them into the dining room. After they were all seated, and paying attention, she said, "Well, I don't think that there's any other way to say this, so . . . I'm pregnant!"  
  
Keiko and Yukina stood up to hug the mother-to-be, Shizuru and Byakko nodded and smiled encouragingly, Yuusuke and Kuwabara patted Koenma on the back, making jokes at his expense, and Genkai just smiled. The half Koorime watched Yuusuke, predicting the exact moment that he turned to say, "Even these two beat you, Hiei, and Koenma never has time for sex. Where are those kids?"  
  
Hiei slowly stood, and walked out of the room, not stopping even when Yukina cried out to him.  
  
*-*-*  
  
Ojisan, Jisan - Uncle(s)  
  
Minna-san, Minna-chan - Everyone  
  
Usubaka - Dimwit(s)  
  
Anou - Er, Um, Uh  
  
Daioujo - Princess(es)  
  
Youkai - Demon(s)  
  
Musume - Daughter(s)  
  
*-*-*  
  
"Otousan? What's wrong with Oniisan?" Kibaha tugged on Kurama's robe.  
  
Kurama said stunned, "I don't know."  
  
Byakko frowned slightly, "Shouldn't you go after him?"  
  
"No way! He's probably having a repeat of those mood swings," said Kuwabara.  
  
Keiko said to the children, "Minna-chan, why don't you play in Hyouchuu and Nohara's bedroom, okay? If you see Hiei-san, be nice and play with him."  
  
They nodded dubiously, and left the room, after which Kuwabara growled, "I don't see how you girls can trust him with the kids. Remember the first mood swing? He beat the shit out of me."  
  
"Do *we* remember?" Yuusuke snorted. "I'm surprised that you remember, seeing as he hit your head so many times against the concrete."  
  
Kurama asked, "What did you say to him, Yuusuke? Maybe that's why he left."  
  
"I think I said something about Koenma never having time for sex" - everyone rolled their eyes - "and then I said . . . I asked him, 'Where are those kids?'"  
  
"Do you think," Byakko began, "that he wants a child of his own?"  
  
Keiko murmured, "It's a possibility."  
  
The youko nodded thoughtfully, "Kuwabara, did you say anything to provoke him into smashing your head into the stairs?"  
  
He scratched his head, "I think that I said . . . . . . I don't remember, but I remember the shrimp said, 'No, they weren't' before smashing my head in."  
  
"'No, they weren't?' You're certain?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Keiko said, "Well, that's weird."  
  
Yuusuke - who had been mumbling under his breath for a while - said, "When he left for that long trip that he told us nothing about . . . when he left, he had been all smiles and laughter. Then he came back. You couldn't tell him apart from the Hiei that we first met. I asked him if he found a wife, - you know, to lighten the mood - and if that was why he was so moody. Remember? When he didn't say anything, I asked him when their first kid was coming along."  
  
"Yeah," Kuwabara said. "He decked you good!"  
  
"Kuwabara," Yuusuke said, looking straight at his friend, "what did you say to Hiei when he beat you up?"  
  
The taller man bit his lip in his effort to remember, finally mumbling, almost to himself, "That was about a year ago. Him and the girls were playing in the woods next to the shrine stairs. He saw me and Yukina, and came out to greet Yukina . . . I was looking at the girls . . . Yukina took the girls up to the shrine, and me and Hiei watched them. We stood there, and I was looking at the girls . . . I was looking at the girls . . . . . . I said, 'My girls are getting more beautiful everyday.' And then he sneered at me. He said, 'Too bad we can't say the same for the chichiue.' And then I said . . . 'At least, my kids aren't as ugly as your kids are going to be.' Then he said, 'No, they weren't,' and he bashed my face in."  
  
"Shit . . ." Yuusuke muttered. "It can't be. He has kids?"  
  
Kurama rubbed his temples, "He must have met someone in the Makai, so he went there to either make his children or pick them up."  
  
"Shit . . . so . . . what do you think happened?" Urameshi Yuusuke swallowed nothing, "Do you think she left him, and took the kids? Think that's why he's so upset?"  
  
Keiko shook her head, "No, he was talking about them in past tense. They *weren't* ugly; not: they *aren't* ugly."  
  
He paled, and he squeaked out, "They're dead?"  
  
His wife stammered, "I . . . I think so. I can't think of anything else that it might mean."  
  
"Great, now I feel terrible," Yuusuke said. "I went and stupidly set him off."  
  
Byakko was unconsciously smoothing out her skirt, "He'll calm down when the kids get to him. They always calm him down."  
  
He nodded, and swallowed a mouthful of water before saying with a slightly dry sounding voice, "Of course. He loves them. Keiko once said that he loved them like they were his own. He must compare them to his." Keiko nodded, and patted his shoulder. Yuusuke put his hand on hers, and stared at it, "I'm not the one that needs comforting. Kurama, Kuwabara, we have to go find him."  
  
Kuwabara looked out the window, and frowned when he noticed that it was still raining, "Okay, but let's check on the kids first. He might be in there."  
  
Once again, they all went to Hyouchuu and Nohara's room. The okaasan went in first with the otousan behind them. Keiko turned around to look at them, and she smiled, "They're so precious."  
  
On Nohara's bed were all the children piled on top of Hiei, sleeping soundly. The parents hovered over the bed, trying not to breathe lest they awaken the usually alert half Koorime. His red eyes shot open, "What do you want?"  
  
Yuusuke tried to smile, "Gee, you're so small, Hiei. You fit in your meichan's bed."  
  
He looked down at himself, and the little bodies curled up to him, something flashing in his ruby orbs for an instant, unreadable. Yukina could finally hold it in no longer, and hiruiseki dripped to the floor. She stood at the head of the bed, and she wrapped her arms gently around his neck, "Oniisan, why didn't you tell us?"  
  
He blinked curiously up at her, and then his eyes widened, "How did you . . . Did Koenma tell you?"  
  
The other Reikai Tantei looked at each other, and then at their employer; Kurama asked, "You told Koenma?"  
  
Koenma shook his head, "No, he didn't tell me anything. Papers go through my desk all the time of those who are born and those who died . . . Mannenyuki Himoto and Mannenyuki Enshou, musuko of Mannenyuki Hiei. Cause of deaths: infection of the placenta."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" Yuusuke asked the diety, irate.  
  
"It was Hiei's decision, Yuusuke," Botan said. "We just couldn't go and tell everyone."  
  
Hiei asked, "Were you the one that escorted them to the Reikai?"  
  
She smiled sadly, "Yes, they were very worried about you. They wanted to know what was going to happen to the man that made funny faces at them."  
  
"Where . . . ?" He stopped unable to continue, and Yukina tightened her grip.  
  
"They were *very* good little boys. Himoto and Enshou loved you very much. They went to Tengoku," she bit her bottom lip, and watched as he nodded absently.  
  
Yuusuke scratched his head, "Wait a minute . . . she had a miscarriage? Then how could you make faces at them?"  
  
"She?" Asked Hiei.  
  
"Yeah, their kaasan," he rolled his eyes, thinking him a dolt. Sasuke stirred briefly before going still again.  
  
Hiei told them, "I'm their chichiue *and* hahaue."  
  
"Anou . . . Hiei, you don't have the . . . equipment for that. Guys aren't made to have babies."  
  
"Koorime are, and I'm half. I figured that if I did a little research, I could pull it off."  
  
Yuusuke laughed nervously, "You've got to be kidding me." When Hiei shook his head, glaring at him, he asked, "So, how's that done anyway?"  
  
Hiei frowned at him, "Can I take the nap that you all so rudely interrupted by breathing on me?"  
  
"Anou . . . Gomen, Hiei," Yuusuke said, and he pushed everyone out in his haste to get away from Hiei's glare.  
  
*-*-*  
  
Oniisan - Older Brother  
  
Meichan, Mei - Neice  
  
Musuko - Son(s)  
  
Reikai - Spirit World  
  
Tengoku - Heaven  
  
Sumimasen, Suminai, Gomen Nasai, Gomen - I'm sorry  
  
*-*-*  
  
Red eyes flickered open, and almost lazily looked at their surroundings. Hiei smiled briefly at seeing the children still sound asleep. Since the majority had rolled off him in their nap, he easily slinked out of Nohara's bed. Quietly, he padded out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Not one stirred in their slumber.  
  
He frowned to himself as he stood in the hallway. How would he explain the strange phenomenon that had been creating Himoto and Enshou? His chest tightened at the thought of them.  
  
The others had shared their joy of the birth of their children so easily with him. He wanted to do the same, but when his musuko had died, Hiei had not wanted to share his pain with them. The only way that he had seemed to do that was by beating Yuusuke and Kuwabara senseless. He almost did it to Kurama too. He knew that Yukina had known on some strange level that he had been in a lot of pain, but had been unable to help him because he wouldn't allow her close enough to.  
  
"Hiei?" Kurama's soft voice murmured, "Are you ready?"  
  
He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he turned to look at him. Hiei stared at him, and the others that were creeping up to gaze at Hiei. "No," he said finally, "but I'll tell you anyway."  
  
The room was very quiet when he entered, and all eyes were on him. Hiei looked back at the hallway, almost wanting to go back to the futago's room to sleep, however, they wanted to know.  
  
"All right," Kurama said when Hiei was seated, "let's start with something simple, okay?"  
  
Hiei began talking, "How about I tell you how I know it?  
  
"The only youkai that I know that can have children on their own are the Koorime. I couldn't go to the Floating Isle for obvious reasons, so I dove into books here in the Ningenkai. The only things that came close to helping me were books on hermaphrodites, mitosis, and those that talked about the phases of child development while in the womb. My Jagan helped me find the ovotestis that I had suspected was in me, but it couldn't find anything that resembled a womb. I thought that it was kind of pointless that I had an ovotestis but no womb. I spent a whole week trying to figure it out until my Jagan noticed the strange tunnel that led to my navel. The fact that the child gained its nutrients through the umbilical cord was interesting, and I wondered if I could use my navel to somehow hold my children since I didn't have a womb.  
  
"So I left the Ningenkai with those books, and found a quiet cave in the Makai. I decided to try to do what felt natural first, and fix any of my mistakes afterward, but everything went well on the first try." Hiei lifted his shirt up, and could see them calculating in their eyes, trying to remember when they had last seen him without his shirt on. His stomach was outlined with one faint long scar that resembled an oval that stretched a little over his navel, and down under his navel by about five inches. He pointed at the more noticeable scar directly on his navel, "I activated my ovotestis, and cut my navel open."  
  
"Then what happened?" Yuusuke asked, edging closer to get a better view of the scars. "How did that scar get there?"  
  
"I thought that you'd be grossed out by this," he chuckled.  
  
He nodded, "Yeah, but it's like sex e.d.: it's gross and cool at the same time . . . How'd you get that scar?"  
  
Hiei frowned, and bit his lip, "That didn't show up until I ripped off the sack when they . . ."  
  
Yuusuke slapped his forehead, "Gomen nasai . . . so, a sack?" He asked almost hopefully.  
  
"Yes . . . Some kind of sticky liquid came out, and made a jelly-like sack down here." He pointed at his lower abdomen, and his finger trailed up to his navel, "It was connected to my navel by a tube. I felt their energy sometime the next morning, and, a couple days later, I could see Himoto and Enshou forming . . ."  
  
"Hiei . . . ?" Botan questioned. "Why don't you try again?"  
  
Hiei jerked slightly, but Yuusuke persisted, "Yeah, you and Botan can be baby-buddies or something."  
  
Kurama added, "We know how happy our children make you. If you just try again, you'll be ecstatic."  
  
"Or," Yuusuke snickered, "as ecstatic as *you* can get."  
  
Yukina smiled, "You can stay here at the shrine with us. Then, if something happens, I can help."  
  
Before he could answer, a tiny voice said, "Ojisan?"  
  
Hiei smiled uneasily, "Yes, Sasuke?"  
  
He blinked curiously at them, "Who are Himoto and Enshou?"  
  
The half Koorime took a deep breath, "My musuko."  
  
"You got musuko?" He asked, "Where are they?"  
  
"Anou . . . They went to Tengoku."  
  
"Oh . . ." Sasuke said. "Why don't you want anymore?"  
  
"I - I do want more, Sasuke-chan."  
  
"You and Obasan are going to be baby-buddies?" He asked, smiling.  
  
"Yes . . ."  
  
*-*-*  
  
Ningenkai - Human World  
  
Jagan - Evil Eye(s)  
  
Makai - Demon World  
  
*-*-*  
  
'To Hiei,  
  
'The most wonderful friend that we could have. You are going to make a super tousan!  
  
'With love,  
  
'Urameshi Yuusuke, Youko Kurama, Kuwabara Kazuma, and Koenma Daiouji'  
  
"I've just decided to try again, and you guys have to be weird!" Hiei shouted, looking for something to throw even though the book entitled 'Pregnant Fathers' was still in his hand.  
  
Yuusuke protested, "It's a book on fatherhood, Hiei! We thought it might help you on your way or something!"  
  
"Oh? So, the title isn't supposed to mean anything?" He glared at the other Reikai Tantei and Koenma.  
  
"Anou . . . kind of?" Yuusuke scratched the back of his head, grinning like the fool that he usually portrayed himself as.  
  
Hiei growled, but stopped searching for an object to throw at them, and stared at the book in his hand. Quietly, he whispered, "Arigatou."  
  
*-*-*  
  
Daiouji - Prince(s)  
  
*-*-*  
  
I thought the idea of this story in the shower, which is usually where most of my ideas come from. 'Pregnant Fathers' really is the name of a book on fatherhood. I found it while at a garage sale with my neesan the very same day. I was ecstatic at finding it, especially since I was also kind of high on the painkillers that I took for my ankle and toe. Neesan didn't tell me that it was Vicodin. Loser. Strangely, I kept hurting my ass that day. Whatever. She took me out to get Thai food so I forgave her. Hell, I almost got us lost, so we're definately even now.  
  
As of this moment, I'm reading 'Pregnant Fathers,' and I just finished Chapter One. There was a Foreward and the Preface too. They gave me so many ideas that I had to jot it down in this prolegomenon.  
  
If any of you readers are those that are reading my 'A Losing Battle,' and are wondering why I'm not doing it, I'll tell you now. I'm still working on it! I just hate doing fight scenes, and this recent battle with the lovely Kurama and the hideous Futeki had gotten me kind of stumped. However - if I get off my lazy ass - Chapter Seven should be coming soon.  
  
And when will Chapter One of this story come out? I honestly have no clue. Within the week? Maybe?  
  
Ja mata!  
  
*-*-* 


	2. First Trimester: Week One

*-*-*  
  
Pregnant Fathers  
  
*-*-*  
  
Month One: Week One  
  
*-*-*  
  
'I'll walk in the rain by your side,  
  
'I'll cling to the warmth of your tiny hand,  
  
'I'll do anything to help you understand,  
  
'I'll love you more than anybody can.  
  
'~John Denver "For Baby"'  
  
It was printed under a black and white picture of a child looking up at someone outside of the picture, and by the masculine hands holding the baby, Hiei assumed that it was the chichiue. It was the caption and picture that went with the preface, and - because he couldn't help himself - Hiei kept going back to read it, and stare at the picture. Today especially.  
  
Yukina, Botan, Keiko, and Genkai had all seemed to take it upon themselves to make sure that Hiei would be miscarriage-free. For the past month, they had been feeding him healthy foods. Since they saw no point in making *him* excercise, they left him to do that on his own. However, the time that he usually spent training had been spent contemplating and reading. He hadn't wanted to overexert himself, and he had been curious about this 'Pregnant Fathers' book.  
  
He had read through to the first chapter, and he had just realized that a book on motherhood probably would have been better.  
  
The author of the book had been an expectant chichiue as well, and spoke about how he expressed feelings of jealousy about his wife being able to feel his child inside of her, and of the attention that she was getting. Sometimes, he hadn't wanted to be around her because he felt so crowded, but other times, he just wanted her near by.  
  
The short essay in the first chapter, 'The Masculine Mythos', was actually what he needed. While a book on motherhood would give him information on how to deal with the pregnancy and feminine feelings on the matter, Hiei realized that he needed to know more about the male feelings.  
  
Hiei knew how to deal with the being with child part, but actually fathering them . . .  
  
On second thought, this book was exactly what he needed.  
  
'I'll love you more than anybody can.'  
  
"Oniisan? Are you ready?" Yukina whispered, touching his shoulder.  
  
He did not answer, instead, reading - whispering - the poem one last time to himself, almost like a prayer, "I'll walk in the rain by your side, I'll cling to the warmth of your tiny hand, I'll do anything to help you understand, I'll love you more than anybody can."  
  
His imoutochan smiled warmly, and took his hand, leading him to the living room where the others were waiting for him. The kits were sprawled out over their parents' laps. The futago were both sitting on their chichiue's lap. Sasuke was sitting between his parents, and Keiko was patting his head absentmindedly.  
  
Hiei fidgeted slightly, and sat down in the plastic-covered chair - with plastic under it to ctach the blood - that allowed everyone to see him, feeling very strange being the center of attention. He said, "Yukina-chan, should the children watch this?"  
  
"Why? What's wrong?"  
  
Kibaha piped up, "I wanna see the futago!"  
  
Yuusuke narrowed his eyes, "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea." He turned to the children, "If you want to see some blood, go ahead and stay here. If not, go play outside or something. You won't be able to see the futago for a couple days anyway."  
  
The girls looked at each other as one, and squealed, running outside. Kibaha fiddled his thumbs, "Why won't the futago show?"  
  
Kurama patted his head, "They're too small. Smaller than you."  
  
"That's small," Sasuke said.  
  
The three boys toed at the carpet, peeking up at the adults through their eyelashes.  
  
Yuusuke chuckled, "Go on, we don't blame you."  
  
They nodded, and as they left, Kibaha said, "Suminai, Oniisan!"  
  
"It's all right," he murmured. He watched them through a window as they joined the girls, starting up a game of tag. Actually the boys just started to chase the girls around.  
  
"Oniisan," Yukina said, bringing a knife into his sight.  
  
It had been sanitized several times to ensure that there wouldn't be any infection, though - according to Koenma - that wasn't how the infection had come to be in the first batch. Hiei stared at it, and then took off his shirt, taking the knife from Yukina afterwards. He concentrated on his ovotestis, and activated it after a slight hesitation. As he felt the fluids rush to his navel, he stabbed it. Not too deep, only enough to pierce the skin to allow the strange fluid go through.  
  
Blood spurted out when he pulled the knife out, and coated his lower belly. Botan squirmed slightly in her seat, and - surprisingly - Yuusuke covered his mouth turning a bit green. They obviously hadn't known just how much blood would come out.  
  
A second spurt of fluid came, and stopped the blood from flowing. Hiei could feel it - like it had three years ago - heal the cut, shaping it into a hole to allow the tube that would connect to the makeshift womb. The jelly-like substance formed the tube, and on his lower abdomen it molded out a circle-shaped sack, which was the womb. The fluid hardened slightly, just as hard as his flesh, but still quite transparent - he had felt it. It was only a slight bump; it had formed so that it would have looked a part of his skin if it has been a flesh color.  
  
These contraptions filled with the next set of liquid that would hold his futago.  
  
This thought made Hiei breathe quickly. He was excited. The thought of Himoto and Enshou no longer pained him as much, and he was already thinking of names for his new futago.  
  
Gouka? He had liked Kaki, and had almost named Enshou that. Hanabi sounded a bit girlie. Kasen was nice. Taika, Kaijin, Boya, Haimamire, Busshari, Noukotsu, Okibi, Tobihi, Hinomoto, Haigara, Sekka, Hikagen, Kaji . . .  
  
He almost didn't notice when the ovotestis sent out the two ovum and the sperm. When he did, he blinked out of his naming stupor to look up at his silent friends. He smiled slightly, knowing that they wouldn't see it by the way they kept staring at his stomach.  
  
"It's done," he said, smirking at their startled faces. "Weren't you like this when Keiko was in labor, Yuusuke?"  
  
Kuwabara laughed, "That's right! He wouldn't go into that room! We had to force him to at least stand in the doorway! I thought that he was afraid of Keiko! I sure was!"  
  
"Maybe," Kurama snickered, "you should have went outside to play too, Yuusuke."  
  
Yuusuke's face was no longer green but red, "Urusai! It's not funny!" The group continued to laugh, and Hiei reveled in their happiness. Even though Yuusuke's happiness wasn't as easy to see as the others. Yuusuke decided to ignore them, and asked, "Now what?"  
  
Hiei looked down on himself, "I want a bath."  
  
*-*-*  
  
Urusai - Noisy, Loud (Basically, it means that you're telling the person that they're making noise unappreciated noise, and so it means to shut up.)  
  
*-*-*  
  
Once he was cleaned, and the blood-covered plastic was discarded, the children came in.  
  
"Does it hurt?" Was the first thing out of Sasuke's mouth.  
  
"Not at all."  
  
Kemono asked, "What does it feel like?"  
  
Hiei smiled softly, "It feels like my skin. Go ahead, touch it."  
  
Nohara immediately reached over to pet it, and she giggled, "Konnichiwa."  
  
Chuckling, he said, "Nohara-chan, they haven't been fused yet. They probably won't be here for a couple hours."  
  
"We'll wait with you!" Nohara cheered, and they all piled more or less onto Hiei, careful of his stomach, so that they could all get a good view of it.  
  
Naji asked, "What are their names?"  
  
"I don't have any names for them yet."  
  
"We can help!" Sasuke said. "Name one of them Matsuo!"  
  
"Sasuke-chan, I think that's reserved for your future itoutochan."  
  
"Oh, right," he said sheepishly.  
  
Naji piped up, "Aiko?"  
  
"Naji-chan," Hiei said, "that's a girl's name. They're both going to be boys."  
  
"Yeah, Naji! They're gonna be his musuko not musume," said Kemono softly, patting her shoulder.  
  
Her eyes widened, "You can't have musume?"  
  
"I can, but . . . anou . . ." Hiei stopped unsure of how to continue.  
  
"But what?" Sasuke asked.  
  
Hiei looked to his friends for help, but they all just snickered, and he glared at them before turning back to the curious children. He said, "With me . . . I have to have a wife to do have musume."  
  
The little youko girl smiled, "So, if you want musume, can I be your wife?"  
  
Yuusuke and Kuwabara finally burst out laughing, but Byakko and Kurama's ears twitched which sent the two into another fit. Hiei growled slightly at them, but he blushed at the same time.  
  
Naji frowned, "Why can't I marry Ojisan?"  
  
Kurama's face stopped looking so menacing, and said with a tight voice, "Maybe, when you're older."  
  
"Okay," she said, and she kissed Hiei's cheek. "We'll get married, and have lots of musume."  
  
*-*-*  
  
All was silent within the shrine when the children heard it. The quiet - almost piteous - sobs that came from the living room. They had all been sleeping in the futago's room; the boys piled on Nohara's bed, and the girls on Hyouchuu's. They debated whether or not to find out what was going on. Finally, Sasuke and Hyouchuu convinced them all to accompany them into the living room.  
  
They crept out into the hallway. On the tips of their toes they went, careful to walk around the creaking floorboards of the hallway, and to slink in the shadows. Had they not been breathing so hard their parents might have not noticed that they were there.  
  
Kurama stood to stop them, "Minna-chan, you shouldn't be up right now. Go to sleep."  
  
They would have gone dejectedly back to bed, but Kibaha's ears perked, and he ran into the living room. The five other children chased after him, and - miraculously - they evaded capture from the youko.  
  
The children found Kibaha and his hand on their ojisan's makeshift womb, and his eyes were widening at the moment. They smiled at each other, and then climbed onto the couch that he was seated on, ignoring their parents' whispers to leave him be.  
  
Hiei wiped hiruiseki from his eyes, and opened his arms to let the children burrow into them. He was smiling.  
  
As one, they shouted, "Konbanwa, Itoko-chan!"  
  
*-*-*  
  
Konbanwa - Good Evening  
  
Itoko - Cousin(s)  
  
*-*-*  
  
Except for Koenma, the others had all decided to stay at Genkai's while Botan and Hiei were with child; Koenma was much too busy with paperwork. However, not more than a day later, Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama had another mission. Koenma had deemed Hiei unable to fight, and he had been forced to stay at the shrine.  
  
As the children played inside, outside, the three men had just left, leaving an angry Jaganshi.  
  
"I'm still illegible to fight!" Hiei protested, "I should be out there!"  
  
Botan made soothing gestures with her hands, "Hiei-san, just think of your futago. What about them?"  
  
"They'd be fine," he snorted. "I fought when I was pregnant with Himoto and Enshou all the time. Even three months into the pregnancy."  
  
"What?!" Keiko screeched. "What were you doing fighting?!"  
  
He barked, "It's not like I went looking for a fight. Not two months in at least. It was the Makai after all. There was a fight almost everyday." He added, with a smile, as if it were an after thought, "Now I know why Yuusuke and the others were always so afraid of you."  
  
Keiko's eyes went flat, "Let's change the subject."  
  
Genkai asked, "What are you two going to name your babies?"  
  
Immediately, Botan lightened up, "Oh, I can't decide! They're all just so adorable! It would be so much easier if Koenma-sama told me what gender the baby is. Hiei-san, you've got . . . Hiei-san?"  
  
Yukina looked up, and gasped, "Oniisan, you shouldn't be up in that tree! Think about your futago!"  
  
"They're fine! I could wrestle with Mukuro-sama, and they'd still be fine!" He raged.  
  
"Oh? Is that so, Hiei?"  
  
He turned sharply to glare at the Makai warlord that had just appeared, "That's right." She stepped forward on the branch, and lifted up his shirt, making him cry out in indignation, "Hey!"  
  
"Hmmm, it seems," Mukuro began, "that what that messenger said was true." She flashed him a smile, "I was too busy to come to its making. Gomen nasai."  
  
He muttered, "Futago."  
  
"Oh? You can tell this early?" She then shook out of it, "Oh right, you're half Koorime. Of course, there are two of them. Boys too, huh?"  
  
He growled, and leapt to another branch to let him see them all, and so that they could see him, "Let me get this straight with all of you right now!" Their eyes widened, "I'm not here to do your damned girly baby rituals! I will not sit down, and talk with you about their names!" He looked at Mukuro, "And I better not expect the third degree from you whenever you just *happen* to drop by! You didn't even ask permission to strip me!"  
  
He retreated to the roof of the shrine, where, he sat down, and wrapped his arms around his knees.  
  
Mukuro dropped to the ground, and whispered, "Third degree? I was making small talk. And do you really think that he'd let me see his stomach if I just asked?"  
  
Keiko smiled, "He's probably just grumpy."  
  
"Grumpy?" Mukuro blinked. "This is normal; I'm making fun of him."  
  
Byakko, Shizuru and Genkai laughed while the others shrugged, and above them, Hiei grunted.  
  
Shizuru said, "Let's go inside. If he doesn't want to hear us make fun of Botan's choices of names, or know what we think of what he's going to call his musuko for the *rest of their lives* . . . well, that's his tiff."  
  
She let that sink in, and when they seemed to think that he wouldn't say or do anything, they headed toward the door of the shrine, led by Shizuru.  
  
"Kazanbai."  
  
"What?" Keiko looked up.  
  
Hiei was peeking down at them, "Kazanbai."  
  
Just as Keiko was about to say something, Shizuru covered her mouth with a hand, "Gomen, Hiei. What did you say?"  
  
He hesitated, and then said louder, "Kazanbai."  
  
Again Yukina was going to say something, but Shizuru covered her mouth too, "I still didn't hear you."  
  
The Jaganshi blinked curiously down at them, and his eyes narrowed, "You heard me just fine."  
  
Their staring contest was won by Hiei because Shizuru had seemed to realize something. She smiled, and said, "It's a little long for a name, don't you think? It's nice though."  
  
"I . . . I was just thinking it over," he mumbled. His head disappeared back onto the roof.  
  
Shizuru turned to Botan, and said as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, "So, what were you going to call your bundle of joy, Botan-chan?"  
  
*-*-*  
  
When Yuusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara came back, Hiei was still up on the roof. He had not moved from his seat on the eaves.  
  
The hanyou asked, "What are you doing up there? Can those kids of yours handle being tossed around so much?"  
  
Hiei's eye twitched, and said tersely, "They're fine."  
  
Yuusuke raised an eyebrow at him, "What's up your ass?"  
  
He growled, and said, "Nothing."  
  
While Yuusuke and Kuwavbara stared at him worriedly, Kurama said, "Let's go inside. I bet that you haven't eaten since this morning."  
  
Hiei fidgeted slightly. It was true, and while that normally didn't bother him, he had three to feed now and Kurama's gentle reminder sent him running to the kitchen. Which was where Botan, Mukuro, Keiko, Shizuru, Byakko, and Genkai were talking.  
  
Mukuro laughed, "Hiei, I didn't know that you would be craving to eat this early."  
  
Botan called, "While you're up, can you get me something too?"  
  
The Jaganshi sighed, and nodded.  
  
He reached into the cupboard, and pulled out a packet of ramen, "Baba, how do you make this?"  
  
Genkai showed him the basics of the stove, and where the utensils that he needed were. She left him, saying, "*You* cook it."  
  
Hiei scowled at the packet in his hand, and then said, "Botan, you probably want more than this measely little packet."  
  
"Oh, yes, most definately."  
  
Keiko giggled, "You sure are eating a lot."  
  
Byakko grinned, "You're not going to have anymore kits if you eat so much. Koenma-sama might not want to share a bed with a plump Botan."  
  
"Anou . . ." Botan mumbled.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye Hiei saw Shizuru shake her head sadly. She looked very perturbed for someone like Shizuru. She was worried about Botan? But why . . . ?  
  
Hiei frowned, 'Does Botan believe that crap?' He clenched his fangs, and grabbed three more packets.  
  
"Hiei-san," Botan protested, "I don't need to eat that much."  
  
Since he was looking away from them, they did not see his Jagan glow as he checked on her health. She hadn't eaten in a while either, maybe not since lunch, and if they split the four packets, she would be fine. Himself? He hadn't eaten since breakfast, that would be more than enough for himself.  
  
"I'm hungrier than I thought."  
  
Hiei wasn't sure, but he thought that he saw Shizuru smile at him.  
  
Botan said, "I've never seen you eat that much, Hiei-san." She paused, and thought a moment before saying, "Actually, I've never seen you eat."  
  
He filled the pot full of water, and glared disdainfully at the stove, "Then you wouldn't know how much food that I am capable of eating."  
  
With only a glance at it, the water immediately began to boil, as per the instructions demanded.  
  
*-*-*  
  
It took another day for Hiei to be able to see his futago. He had awoken the next morning, and had just climbed into the shower when he finally noticed them. The morning had made him surprisingly groggy.  
  
He showered, staring down in wonder at the tiny beings within his womb. Hiei carefully felt along the side of the sack to see if it had connected to his skin completely, and was pleased to find that it had. He dressed quickly after his shower, and walked slowly to the dining room. No one but Genkai was up, and she was sitting at the table playing a game of Solitaire. When he entered, she glanced up at him, and smiled warmly, catching his mood. She gestured for him to sit next to her.  
  
She said when he did, "Just wait for them to wake up. We're early risers."  
  
Hiei nodded absently, and traced his womb through his shirt. He asked, "What do you think I should name them?"  
  
"You're their chichi. You should name them."  
  
"I had such a hard time naming Himoto and Enshou though," he mumbled. "And that's not what I wanted to call them in the end. I thought that I would have a little more time to choose, and then . . ."  
  
She sighed, and stopped playing long enough to look at him, "They're beautiful names, Hiei."  
  
He opened his mouth and closed it several times before murmuring, "Arigatou."  
  
"You're not over them are you?" She asked.  
  
"I guess not."  
  
Genkai nodded in a distracted manner, and piled up her cards, signifying that she was done playing. She said, "I honestly don't know what to say, Hiei. I was not there. None of us were. It was such a big decision to make. For you to have children, I mean. Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"I wanted to surprise you all."  
  
"You certainly did that, didn't you?" She said. "It probably would have been a less painful experience if you had told us in the beginning. As it stands, we hurt a lot more. A friend of ours didn't think that we were important enough to be told of such a life-changing decision." Genkai placed her old, wrinkled hand on his shoulder, "Surprising us with new futago would have been a great joy, Hiei. Yet, telling us, and sharing their stages of development and birth with us would have been a wonder. I'm not blaming you of anything, Hiei, so don't shoot the messenger. I'm just telling you . . . Sharing things like these makes the bad things that come along with it much easier to handle. Remember what you did to Yuusuke and Kuwabara."  
  
"I . . ." he stammered, "I'm here now. I'm trying to share this now."  
  
Genkai put both hands on Hiei's shoulder, and said, "Doumo arigatou, Hiei."  
  
"Hey," came a whisper from the hallway. Yuusuke asked, "What's going on in here? Why are you up at this hour, Hiei? You should be sleeping."  
  
Smiling, Genkai murmured, "Get the others, Yuusuke. Hiei wants to share something."  
  
*-*-*  
  
"Tousan! Tousan!" Sasuke called out to Yuusuke. "Let's play!"  
  
The team leader frowned, "Gomen, Sasuke-chan. I got to work, and your kaasan wants me to get the groceries after that. When I have time, okay?"  
  
Sasuke frowned, but he nodded, "Okay . . ."  
  
"Go play with Hiei."  
  
His son whispered, "Ojisan is tired. He's sleeping on the roof."  
  
"Again?" Yuusuke groaned. He called out to a figure in the shrine, "Kurama, get Hiei off the roof! He's up there again!"  
  
There was a long tired sigh from within, and Kurama - in all his silver youko glory - stormed out of the shrine, and barked at the roof, "Hiei! If you don't get down from there, I'm coming up after you!"  
  
"Otousan," murmured Kibaha, "why can't Oniisan be up on the roof?"  
  
Kurama smiled down on his musuko, "He shouldn't be jumping around when the futago are in him. When they're born, he can try it, but, right now, they are too fragile."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"We just know what's best for him," he began, "like Okaasan and I know what's best for you and your aniue and aneue."  
  
Kuwabara ran up from the forest, his futago coming after him, "What's going on?"  
  
Yuusuke glared at the roof, "Hiei's sleeping on the roof again."  
  
"Hey, shrimp," shouted Kuwabara, "get down from there!" Hyouchuu tugged on his pant leg, and Kuwabara stopped to say to her, "Not now, musumecha-"  
  
Two rocks came down from the roof, and conked Kurama and Kuwabara in the head, each shouting out in pain and surprise.  
  
Yuusuke laughed, "Real mature, Hiei!"  
  
Kuwabara raged, "What was that for?!"  
  
"For ignoring your musume, bakayarou," came the answer.  
  
"Then," Kurama asked, "why did you hit me too?"  
  
"For telling your musuko that you know what's best for them."  
  
"But we do know what's-" Another rock was thrown at him, and, since Kurama wasn't expecting this, he couldn't dodge, and he got hit again. "Stop that! I *do* know what's best for them!"  
  
Suddenly, Hiei was standing amongst them, holding a familiar book in his hands. Yuusuke gasped, "You kept that stupid thing?!"  
  
Hiei opened it, and motioned them all toward him.  
  
'As young children, our parents were our gods and goddesses. What they told us about life was unquestionably true. Eager to please them, and to master the mysterious world around us, we paid close attention to their spoken and unspoken messages, adopting their perceptions and values as our own.  
  
'Many of us internalized some combination of the following messages:'  
  
Hiei pointed out two listed below.  
  
'"Your parents are always right. They know what's best for you." (They know you better than you know yourself.)'  
  
'"Don't interrupt." (We're more important than you are.)'  
  
"I get the feeling," Hiei said, "that these aren't messages that children are supposed to recieve."  
  
Yuusuke smiled, "I didn't do any of that stuff!"  
  
"You've told Sasuke to stop being a monster," said Hiei, and he pointed at something in the list.  
  
'"Don't be a monster." (Don't ask for attention.)'  
  
The leader scratched the back of his head, "Well then, what are we supposed to do?"  
  
"After your job and your little errand, we'll . . ." he looked around, and said slowly as if trying the words on for the first time, "we'll talk about it."  
  
Kuwabara laughed, "You want to talk about parenting skills? You aren't even a tousan yet!"  
  
Hiei growled, "I am a chichiue here and now! I have the musuko right here to prove it!"  
  
The taller man blushed, "Anou . . . well . . ."  
  
"Are you going to show up or not?"  
  
The three nodded, and Yuusuke said, "I'll try."  
  
*-*-*  
  
So, I decided to finish this chapter and leave this for anyone who found this story interesting. I'm enjoying this story. I can't wait to write some more.  
  
Hell, maybe the next chapter will show up next week. So, keep your eyes peeled!  
  
Ew . . .  
  
Why would someone peel their own eyes?  
  
Ja mata!  
  
*-*-* 


	3. First Trimester: Week Three

*-*-*  
  
Pregnant Fathers  
  
*-*-*  
  
Month One: Week Three  
  
*-*-*  
  
Amagoi - Praying for Rain  
  
*-*-*  
  
"You missed the meeting," Hiei said. "Again."  
  
"I know! You keep reminding me!"  
  
"Because you seem to keep forgetting." He sighed, "Yuusuke, it would be nice if you came once or twice. We're not asking you to come all the time."  
  
His eye twitched, "I know, but I'm busy."  
  
"Busy doing what?" Hiei asked.  
  
"You know, with work down at the ramen shop," Yuusuke said lamely. When Hiei raised an eyebrow, Yuusuke sighed, "I'll try to-"  
  
"No," he interrupted, "you *will* come next time."  
  
He grumbled something that sounded like compliance, and walked away, likely cursing as he did so. Kurama murmured from behind Hiei, "You shouldn't be so hard on him, Hiei. He's just afraid."  
  
"I don't see how."  
  
"He's afraid of being a tousan."  
  
Shaking his head, Hiei growled, "But he already is an oyaji. I should be the nervous one. Yuusuke's a great oyaji." He walked back inside, heading toward his room, "What is there for him to be afraid of?"  
  
"You have to understand, Hiei," Kurama started, "Yuusuke's otousan walked out on his okaasan. He's never known his otousan. Atsuko likely doesn't even know where he is."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Kurama sighed patiently, "Yuusuke never had a father-figure. The closest thing that he had to that was Takenaka, but, if you remember correctly, Yuusuke never really went to school, so that relationship went straight out the window."  
  
"I think that I get it . . ." Since there wasn't anyone to show him how to act, he was afraid to talk about his parenting skills, thinking that he might be doing something terribly wrong without him knowing.  
  
"Hiei-san!"  
  
"Kuso," he whispered to himself, and Kurama snickered.  
  
"Ah," he said, "it seems to be time for another type of meeting."  
  
"Don't push it, Kurama . . ."  
  
The silver youko chuckled, and retreated. Behind Hiei, Botan called, "Hiei-san, please? Pretty please?"  
  
She was referring to having him join them in their daily ritual. The girls would pick a random hour of the day to sit down, and talk about all sorts of things from the condition of the babies to baby names. From what he understood, they were even thinking of names for *his* musuko.  
  
Keiko said, "Hiei-san, it would just make you feel more welcome! We don't want you to be an outsider for this exciting part of your life!"  
  
And then a new voice was introduced. One that hadn't tried this before, "Oniisan . . ."  
  
Blanching, Hiei turned to look at them, "Just this once."  
  
Botan nodded much too hard, "Oh, yes! Of course! Whatever you say, Hiei-san!"  
  
They led him out to the living room, and sat him down in a chair. Just as they got settled, Shizuru walked in, took one look at him and then at the smug look on Botan's face, proclaiming afterward, "Hiei, you don't have to sit with us today."  
  
"What?!" Botan cried out. "We just finally convinced him!"  
  
Shizuru snorted, "You mean you sucker punched him in the face with Yukina."  
  
"Eh heh . . . if you put it that way . . ." Botan and Keiko blushed, "anou . . . it worked?"  
  
The older woman shook her head, and then placed a hand on Hiei's shoulder, "Go ahead, and leave if you want to. I'd rather convince you come to us willingly instead of using trickery."  
  
Hiei chuckled, asking, "Why not use trickery?"  
  
"Maybe for other things," she mused, "but not for this." He raised a delicate eyebrow, but said nothing, looking around uneasily until Shizuru barked, "Go on! Get!"  
  
He practically ran to get away. There was just something so commanding about Shizuru. It was as if one didn't do as she said, she would slap them - and she wouldn't go easy on them like Keiko.  
  
Just before he left the room completely though, he turned, and asked on a whim, "How come you're not always here?"  
  
"Because," she said, "I have a job to go to, and a home to take care of, and a life to live." Shizuru smiled, "Why?"  
  
He snorted, "It was just weird when you . . . when you weren't here."  
  
Chuckling, she said, "If it makes you feel any better, Hiei, I'll try to be here every weekend."  
  
"There's no need for you to-"  
  
"Nonsense! This is important to you, and I'm . . . well, I'm your imouto's danna's neesan, so I guess that it would be kind of pointless for me to visit you as a friend."  
  
"No . . ." if this didn't make him feel like a complete idiot then nothing would, "you're a . . . friend . . . Shizuru."  
  
She laughed, "Hiei, you dog! I didn't know that you had a crush on me!"  
  
"Bakayarou! I call you a friend, and you twist my words around!"  
  
The woman laughed harder, "Some friend that I am, ne?!"  
  
"Yeah, some friend that . . . !" He trailed off, and then walked away stiffly, Shizuru's laughter chasing him.  
  
*-*-*  
  
Oshujin, Shujin, Aruji, Teishu, Danna - Husband  
  
*-*-*  
  
Hiei looked over his face, and grimaced. Behind him, Yuusuke snickered, "Gee, I would have thought that you've gotten past those awkward teenage years, pizza face."  
  
"Stop calling me that!" He snarled, and punched Yuusuke. However, the hanyou continued to laugh, so Hiei ignored him, and groaned, "Shimatta . . . This happened in the second week, not the third! I thought that I skipped this crap this time around!"  
  
His face had decided to break out into pimples. Major zits. It had done so when he hade been pregnant with Himoto and Enshou, but that had been earlier, so when that awkward time had passed, Hiei was fairly certain that it would begin then. However, now . . .  
  
Well, he had heard that every pregnancy was different.  
  
Yuusuke shrugged, "How should I know what a male Koorime is supposed to do, pizza face?"  
  
"Just watch," Hiei grumbled, "when all of this is over, I can properly kick your ass."  
  
He paled, "Anou . . . have I told you how much you seem to glow? I mean you're just radiating . . ."  
  
"Hatred for you," he sneered. "Now, go!"  
  
Yuusuke scampered away, leaving Hiei by himself in the bathroom, whom turned to the mirror again, "Shimatta . . ."  
  
"Swearing at them won't make them go away," Shizuru said calmly.  
  
She had snuck up on him, and he had jumped when she had spoken.  
  
"Then," Hiei began, "what do you suggest that I do?"  
  
"First, how long did this last?"  
  
He sighed, "Two months. No matter how often I washed they wouldn't go away."  
  
She nodded, "Maybe, I can pick some face-wash for you when I come back here. It might save you from most of it."  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
"I don't . . . but I'm going to anyway. I don't want to come here to see a pizza face, after all."  
  
His grimace took an ugly turn, "Out!"  
  
The older woman smiled, "I'm just saying, Hiei . . . a handsome face like yours shouldn't be viewed under all of that grime." Her smile became slightly more . . . Hiei wasn't sure how what it became, but he liked the glint in her eyes, "So, you won't mind if I bring something to help?"  
  
He snorted, "Do what you want."  
  
She shrugged, and left the bathroom. Afterwards, Hyouchuu and Nohara made an appearance. Hiei tried not to laugh, but his meichan were being so adorable. Since their hahaue and basan were so worried about Hiei, they had taken up worrying too, and demanding that they see their itoko-chan everyday. Sometimes Naji came, and once, the whole lot of them had wanted to do a check-up.  
  
At least, they wouldn't call him 'pizza face.' On the other hand, Sasuke often took up what Yuusuke did.  
  
He sighed, and sat on the toilet, "You want to do your daily check-up, Hyouchuu-sensei? Nohara-sensei?"  
  
The futago giggled, and ran to his side, "Ne, Ojisan, we're not doctors!"  
  
"Hai!" Hyouchuu chorused, "We're your meichan!"  
  
He nodded, "Ah, gomen, I seem to keep forgetting that." Hiei lifted them up onto his lap, and lifted up his shirt. He asked, "So, my meichan, do you think that something might be wrong?"  
  
They both got a serious look on their face as they turned a criticizing eye over their itoko-chan. Finally, Hyouchuu asked, "How are you feeling, Ojisan?"  
  
Somehow, they knew when he was lying, so he opted to tell the truth with them at least, "A bit tired, but no more than usual."  
  
"Did you eat?" She asked.  
  
"Un," he said, "some ramen, those nuts that your hahaue likes so much, and some ribs."  
  
They looked at each other, and then they nodded at him, Nohara claiming, "Ojisan, I think that you're okay."  
  
Hiei smiled, "That's good to know."  
  
Yuusuke peeked his head in, "Ever heard of washing your face every day, pizza face?"  
  
"Yuusuke," Hiei said, setting his meichan down, and standing, "I think that you should run."  
  
He sweated nervously, "Anou . . . oh, yeah . . . you kicking my ass . . . Ja!"  
  
*-*-*  
  
While Hiei laid awake in bed, he listened to Botan down the hall. She should have been sleeping too, but that night something was keeping her awake. Namely her morning sickness which decided to show up in the very early morning. It shouldn't have stayed this long, so Genkai said, but that wasn't particularily a bad thing. It happened. It might not happen a lot, but . . .  
  
It happened to Botan.  
  
Listening as she dragged herself back to bed - she had been dry retching for the past couple minutes - he sighed. Now, she would begin to cry again. No one else heard, but he did. He was the only youkai in the shrine other than Yukina, but Koorime's ears weren't much keener than ningen's. Kurama and his family slept somewhere out in the forest since it was more comfortable for them. Hiei shoved a pillow over his head, and pressed it tightly to his ears when her whimpers took up.  
  
Finally, something seemed to snap in his mind.  
  
She had been crying herself to sleep for the past week, and Hiei had reached the edge. He wanted to find out what was going on.  
  
He got up, and straightened his pajamas - they had become tangled around his body from trying to find a comfortable position on the strange bed - heading toward her room afterwards.  
  
Botan was lying on her side, a picture clutched in her hands, and she was wiping away her tears when he came in. Hurriedly, she stuffed the picture frame under her pillow, but the damage was done, and Hiei knew what picture that she was looking at.  
  
It had been taken a couple years ago. Botan had come to the shrine to join them in looking at the cherry blossoms, and Koenma had surprised her by . . .  
  
By being there.  
  
The picture was of the two standing under a splended cherry tree in full bloom, in each other's arms. It was the day that their relationship had officially began. It was a testimony of their love. That Koenma would attempt anything to be with her. Even for one lousy day in the Ningenkai.  
  
Hiei tried to remember the last time that Koenma had visited her at the shrine since she had started living there. Almost a month. Almost the entire time that she had started living there. While it wasn't uncommon for Koenma to be missing in action for half a year, it was strange because Botan was here, pregnant with his child. He should have been making *some* kind of effort to come and see her.  
  
But, he wasn't there.  
  
Either he was incredibly busy up there, or something was incredibly, horribly wrong with him.  
  
Hiei would have put her crying off as something to do with her raging hormones, however, she had a right to cry. And he would be damned if he let her lay there and continue to do so - alone. He had a duty after all. Yuusuke had dubbed them as baby buddies; he wouldn't let his title down, and ignore his baby buddy. He laid down beside her, wrapping his arms loosely around her shoulders, and Botan burrowed into his chest, taking up whimpering anew.  
  
"A month," she said. "A month. Not one visit, Hiei-san."  
  
"I know," he whispered.  
  
"What's wrong with me? Why doesn't he love me?"  
  
Poking into the side of his head was the picture frame from under the pillow, and Hiei gritted his fangs in anger, but his voice was soft when he said, "I'm sure he still loves you. Why would he have tried to come to see you that day?" She would know that he was talking about the picture.  
  
She shook her head against his chest, and she moaned, "How would you know?"  
  
"I don't know, Botan, but . . ."  
  
Botan growled up at him through her tears, "That's right, Hiei. You don't know."  
  
"Botan, how am I supposed to explain how he feels for you? I'm not him, but . . ." Hiei took a deep breath, "but everyone can see it. Every time that he manages to escape his job to be with you - even for a few minutes - he just seems to . . . Like . . ." how to explain it without being sappy . . . 'It's impossible.'  
  
However, now, Botan was looking up at him with a little hope in her eyes, "It's like what?"  
  
'But she needs to hear it . . .' ". . . He reminds me of rain sometimes."  
  
"Rain? What do you mean?"  
  
He breathed in deep again, "It's always there. No matter how long it's been gone, it always comes back."  
  
"But why?" She whispered. "Why would it come back?"  
  
"Because the ocean isn't dry yet."  
  
Her face was puzzled, "Ocean? I thought you said he was like rain."  
  
So, he continued, "That's where the rain comes from, isn't it? That's . . ." he swallowed a dry throat, "that's how deep his love for you is . . ." She began to cry again, but she was smiling "Botan, he will always love you . . . That ocean isn't ever going to dry up."  
  
"Never ever ever?"  
  
"Never ever ever."  
  
Giggling, she said, "That sure was some speech, Hiei-san."  
  
He groaned, "And I better not hear about it ever again. I don't even know where half of it came from."  
  
"Maybe your hormones were talking. Your sensitive side showed for a bit."  
  
"And it was overly sappy because I've never been sappy before, so it went overboard?"  
  
She laughed, "Something like that."  
  
"Ch!"  
  
"Aw . . . Hiei-san, you're so cute when you're sappy."  
  
He gritted his fangs again, "Botan . . ."  
  
"I'm hungry."  
  
Hiei blinked in surprise, "Aren't you feeling sick?"  
  
"I feel much better now."  
  
After looking her up and down, he nodded, and stood, "I think there's some leftovers of dinner."  
  
She stuck her tongue out, "I don't like soba. I want fruit salad and . . . horse radish."  
  
He grumbled, and sighed, "Fine."  
  
In the kitchen, Botan looked through the fridge, and groaned, "We only have apples. You need to go get some bananas, and kiwis, and peaches, and stawberries, and grapes . . ."  
  
"Me?!" He shook his head, "Oh, no! You're coming too. I've never gone shopping in the Ningenkai."  
  
"Oh, it's not too much different from shopping in the Makai, Hiei-san," she reassured.  
  
"You've never shopped in the Makai, have you?"  
  
"Anou . . ." she said uneasily, "Iie, I haven't, but . . ."  
  
He snorted, "Whatever. It doesn't matter. You're coming with me."  
  
She pouted, but consented by sighing and nodding, and went to her room to get dressed, saying to Hiei, "You should put on some normal Ningen clothes."  
  
Grumbling, Hiei went to his room to change too.  
  
*-*-*  
  
Botan had pulled on some loose jeans, and a light yellow sweatshirt. She seemed to be convinced that she was the fattest woman on earth, so she covered herself up. Of course, she had just barely begun to show that she was with child.  
  
The Koorime had - surprisingly - found a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt somewhere in his drawers, and some black jeans; he refused to part with his boots, and Botan finally relented after Genkai had chewed their ears out. She had given them a wad of cash to pay for the fruit, and practically shoved them out of the shrine, so that she could get some sleep.  
  
On their way down the shrine stairs, they ran into Byakko. She smiled, "What are the two of you up to at this time of night?"  
  
"Shopping," Hiei snorted.  
  
She looked them up and down, "I'm sure you are." A slow, strange grin crept onto her face, "I won't tell Koenma anything, Botan-chan."  
  
Botan blushed a thousand shades of red, "Wha - what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You know exactly what it means," she winked. "Silly Hiei-san, you should pick better lovers."  
  
"We're not lovers!" She half shrieked, and then blushed at Hiei's groan.  
  
He rubbed his temples in irritation, and gritted out through his fangs, "Byakko, go play elsewhere. I'm pretty sure that you have your own affairs to deal with. Not a supposed one between Botan and I."  
  
Byakko snorted, and walked away in a huff, saying over her shoulder, "Go easy on her, Hiei-san. She's pregnant with another man's child after all."  
  
Hiei began to walk down the stairs, but stopped when he realized that Botan was not doing so, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Affairs?" She whispered.  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"Hiei-san, what affairs are you talking about?"  
  
"Just drop it."  
  
"Byakko's cheating on Kurama?"  
  
Sighing, he began walking again, motioning to Botan to follow. After he was certain that he was far enough away from the shrine, he still murmured, "A youko is not a very trustworhty individual. Kurama is the exception, but only just so. If given enough initiative, he would kill the lot of us. Or at least try."  
  
"Hiei-san, what about his okaasan?"  
  
"*Nothing* would make him touch one hair on her head wrong. He's risked his life for her, remember?"  
  
"Hai . . . but he's risked his life for you as well . . . for all of us."  
  
"He didn't seek it out though, Botan." At her frown, he resumed, "Kurama stole the Mirror of Utter Dark, and intended to use it to save his hahaue knowing that it would kill him. He actively searched to seek out his own death to give his hahaue life."  
  
"What does this have to do with Byakko?"  
  
"A female youko is among the most vile and disgusting creatures in the Makai. They are a hundred times as devious and untrustworthy as their male counterparts. Affairs are quite common among youko."  
  
"What about Kurama?"  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"Does he . . . Is he cheating on Byakko?"  
  
"Maybe. If he is, he hasn't told me."  
  
"So, this is supposed to be normal? What if she leaves him altogether?"  
  
He stared at the ground as he walked, "She's already stayed long enough. Kurama might have be saying goodbye to his cubs soon."  
  
"What . . . ? But . . . doesn't he . . . doesn't Kurama have the right to keep them? They're his chidren too."  
  
"As a male youkai, he has no right whatsoever."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When dealing with offspring, the female rules over their upbringing. So if she leaves Kurama, she can take the cubs with her and do what she wills with them, or she can dump them on Kurama, or she can split them up . . . She could even take them and kill them, though not many would. Byakko could do anything, and Kurama wouldn't be able to lift a finger against her. The best thing that he could attempt to do is talk her into letting him have them."  
  
Botan swallowed nothing, "What if Kurama doesn't want them?"  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that, Botan. He wants them. Why would he go to our meets otherwise? He wants to be their oyaji, and stay that way."  
  
She giggled nervously, "Look, Hiei-san! It's that little shop that Genkai was always talking about. It's still open! Let's get our stuff there."  
  
The shopping trip was silent the entire way through, except for the strange episode at the counter. The cashier chuckled, saying in her motherly voice, "Is this you two's first one?"  
  
"First one . . . ?" Botan asked. "First one what?"  
  
"Why your first child, dear."  
  
Hiei shook his head, "We're not married."  
  
"Don't have to be to have a babe," she snorted, now looking Hiei up and down disdainfully.  
  
"I - What I meant is that the child is not both of ours," he said quickly. "She's the married one."  
  
She nodded, "If you say so . . ."  
  
As they left the store, Botan began to giggle. When they were far enough away, she started laughing aloud.  
  
Finally, Hiei asked, "What's so funny?"  
  
"You should have seen the look on your face when she said: 'Don't have to be to have a babe.' Your face twisted in this really weird face!"  
  
"Did not!" He exclaimed.  
  
"It did!" She cackled. "Hiei-san, I've never seen such a silly look on anyone! You got all pale in the face, and then you stumbled over your own tongue!"  
  
Hiei sighed, and waited for her to cool down. Soon enough, Botan was just smiling quite amused. And then a thoughtful look crossed over her face, "Hiei-san?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"If you were to get married-"  
  
"You mean if I picked up a mate? Someone to help look after my musuko?"  
  
"Hai . . . Well . . ."  
  
Hiei looked over at her. She looked incredibly worried, and he asked, "What?"  
  
"What if . . ."  
  
"Come on, spit it out!"  
  
She said in a great rush, "What if she left, and tried to take them away from you? Would that count?"  
  
Hiei growled darkly, and deep in his throat, "If she even thought it, I would tear her throat out."  
  
"But you said-"  
  
"They are my musuko," he said. "Not hers. She would have no right."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"They are of my blood, and my blood only. She didn't carry or birth them . . ." he smiled, and touched his stomach. "Come to think of it . . . I haven't birthed them either."  
  
Botan laughed, and even Hiei offered a few chuckled before they were quiet once more.  
  
Halfway home, it started to rain. It downpoured. Hiei tried to get her to walk under the trees, but she ran out the middle of the empty road instead, and began to dance, laughing hysterically. Growling, Hiei barked, "What's wrong with you?! What about your baby?! It could get sick!"  
  
That seemed to slap some sense into her because then she came back to him, and walked beside him, clutching his arm, still giggling like a woman possessed.  
  
He asked again, "What's wrong with you?"  
  
"The rain!"  
  
"Un, it's the rain. Have you gone mad?"  
  
She quickly kissed his lips, causing him to blink several thousand times in surprise, and Botan whispered, "It's the rain."  
  
'She . . . ? She kissed me?' He thought to himself, 'But she's married to Koenma! I just told her . . . !' "Oh . . . the rain . . ."  
  
"Do you think he heard you?"  
  
Hiei chuckled, "If he did, then he probably saw you kiss me."  
  
Botan blushed, and then shouted, "Sumimasen, Koenma-sama, but you weren't down here! . . . Oh, what am I doing? He's not paying any mind to me . . ."  
  
"I think he is."  
  
"Really? Really?"  
  
"Hai, Botan." Hiei said, "And if he's not, he's going to be paying attention to you pretty soon."  
  
*-*-*  
  
Yeah, I thought it sounded kind of cute. In my head anyway. Like this . . . Well, that's your opinion, I guess.  
  
Maybe, I'll be able to post this up on FF.Net. A fic of mine's been taken down, so I probably won't be able to put this up until . . . I don't know. I have no idea how long those restriction things are supposed to last. Whatever. Bastards. At least, the same problem won't show up in MM.Org. Not that I'm taking sides. Both sites are crap right now. MM.Org is slower than hell, and FF.Net is full of stuck-up pricks.  
  
Seriously. Every single one of you! Okay, maybe not everyone.  
  
But a lot are!  
  
Whatever . . .  
  
If no one's noticed, I changed Hahaue and Chichiue. It's Ofukuro and Oyaji, respectively. I hope that no one's too confused by the change. I put it up in the prologue thing, so that newcomers know what it means. Just for those that still don't get it: ofukuro - mother; and oyaji - father. They are the more rude forms; it took me a while to remember them. Gomen!  
  
I got a brand-new haircut, and I feel so spiffy! My bangs are long - about to my chin - and the hair on the back of my head was cut choppy and short. It's so cute! The hairdresser chick zigzagged my part for me, and my only regret is that I will be unable to do that again. I can't zigzag my own hair. Whatever. It looks pretty damn cool right now, so I guess that's all that matters.  
  
It's all cool and spiffy-like!  
  
So, now that everyone - even those that aren't pulling sticks out their asses - think that I'm weird - if this fic didn't convince you - I get to say this . . .  
  
Ja mata!  
  
*-*-* 


	4. First Trimester: Week Five

*-*-* 

Pregnant Fathers 

*-*-* 

First Trimester: Week Five 

*-*-* 

Ureshinamida - Tears of Joy 

*-*-* 

He heard them long before they entered his room. The two sets of tiny feet, and Hiei tried to imagine for a moment that it was the sound of his musuko's souls going around for a look at the shrine. The illusion disappeared when Hyouchuu and Nohara stepped in his room. 

"Ojisan . . . anou . . ." the two girls giggled, "can we see our itoko-chan?" 

Hiei smiled just barely at the sweet smile on the face of his carrot-headed meichan, Nohara, "Of course, Meichan." 

He sat up in his bed, and the futago crawled into his bed beside him as he pulled up his shirt to expose the sack connected to his stomach. His musuko were much bigger than two weeks ago. About the size of baseballs. Tiny really. Their bodies weren't fully formed. 

The two giggled and whispered amongst themselves, softly touching the sack holding his musuko. The tiny beings stirred slightly once, and Hyouchuu and Nohara's giggles ceased, replaced by wide, wondering eyes. 

Finally, Hyouchuu shouted out, "They moved! They moved!" 

Nohara took up the same chant soon after, and Hiei tried to quiet them down, but he was hard-pressed to do so. He was just as ecstatic, if not more so, than they. His meichan hadn't felt their itoko pressing around at their surroundings before going still again. The barely perceptibly heartbeats vibrating in his gut grew stronger as they pressed closer. 

By the time that he did get them to calm down, Yuusuke's musuko had ran into the room, gently prodding at his stomach to try to get them to move for him, which they did, and the three shouted out all the louder for it. Yuusuke, grumbling for being disturbed, popped into the room. He blinked curiously as his musuko and the girls before looking at Hiei. 

"What's going on?" Yawning, he then blinked in surprise, "They . . . they're . . ." Then he began to laugh. 

Confused, Hiei looked down, and his eyes widened in disbelief. His musuko . . . one of them was sucking his thumb! 

He had felt them shift, but had not realized that this one had done so to stick his thumb in his mouth. His musuko now seemed to be sucking quite happily on his thumb, discovering a new, simple joy. 

Hiei stared down at the child, and then tiny hands reached up to his face. His meichan kissed his lips and cheeks, and Sasuke patted his shoulder and neck in a comforting manner. The tantei's musuko soothed, "It's okay. They're okay." 

It took him a couple minutes to figure out what exactly the three children were talking about. Sitting in his lap were several small dark blue beads. He touched his cheeks, and found them to be wet. This - why did this make him cry? He was not sad. Nor angry, or alone. Hiei was surrounded by friends and family, his musuko within him. All was well. His musuko were alive and moving. Healthy and beautiful. What was wrong with him? 

"What . . . ?" but he could not voice his question properly to Yuusuke or his confusion. 

However, Yuusuke was much too amused to listen, both at the movement of the futago and Hiei's reaction to it. He did understand the puzzlement on Hiei's face, and he laughed louder, causing the Koorime to become irritated, "You're crying because you're happy, Hiei!" 

_Happy? I'm happy?_ Hiei patted the liquid-like sack, and repressed another round of tears when they squirmed just slightly. 

Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, and Hiei looked up into Yuusuke's eyes, twinkling in similar happiness. Hiei took a deep breath, and asked, "Do you think that they'll live?" 

"Hiei . . ." the Reikai Tantei was quiet for a minute as he thought, and then he continued in a stronger voice, "Hiei, I don't know what's going to happen to them. And I don't mean just whether they'll survive or not." 

Hiei frowned to himself. What was that supposed to mean? What's going to happen . . . 

He still had no answers when Genkai, Keiko and Botan came in. Actually, Botan waddled in. She finally figured out that it was just an easier way for her to travel instead of attempting to walk like she normally did. From Keiko and Botan came sighs and croons like those of a dove, and they came closer to get a better view of his futago. 

He heard the soft trilling sounds outside. Kurama and his brood had awakened, and were, now, approaching the dojo. When the five came in, Yuusuke had come in closer to see the futago, and Kuwabara and Yukina had come in, standing at the head of the bed to seemingly watch over them all. Naji, Kemono, and Kibaha climbed into Hiei's bed. It easily held the seven of them - it being a large bed, and them being small. 

Kurama and Byakko separated, Kurama coming forward to Hiei, but Byakko hung back, watching from behind the others. Kurama look back almost hopefully, but she came no closer, and he gave up to smile at Hiei's futago. He and the children lost themselves in the futago. 

This made Hiei look away from Byakko, and Hiei stared at the youko family as if they were all mad; and then at everyone else in the room, his crimson eyes widening by the second. Their attention was all focused on him and his futago. Hiei had never felt so exposed. Not even standing before the audiences of the Ankoku Bujutsukai and the Makai Bujutsukai had made his gut decide to dance. 

"Hiei-san?" Keiko asked, "Are you all right?" 

"Iya, I'm going to puke," he said. 

"What?" Yuusuke exclaimed, "I thought that you didn't have morning sickness." 

Hiei gently pushed the children off of him, and then bolted to the bathroom. 

After sacrificing a good portion of dinner to the porcelain god - after his worship was over, and his head was no longer bowed, he looked back to see the others crowding the door. Staring at him. 

All of their eyes . . . 

He succumbed to another sacrifice for the porcelain god - apparently, it demanded all of dinner and his afternoon snack. 

"Hiei, are you sick?" Yuusuke asked. 

He shook his head, and then said head spun, so he stopped, and groaned. Botan said, "Hiei-san, you look terrible, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing," he said, and, amazingly, it was true. He really did feel fine. The tension in the pit of his stomach was gone. Except for the bad, acidic taste in his mouth, and his spinning head, he was feeling great again. 

What had been wrong with him? He hadn't been nauseous with Enshou and Himoto. Besides, he wasn't supposed to get nauseous when with child. 

He felt fine until he had noticed that their attention was directed on him. It still was, but since his gut was not as full, it was easier to resist the temptation of the porcelain god. 

"Come on, Hiei, you just puked," Yuusuke exclaimed. "Don't tell me that's nothing!" 

"It _is_ nothing," Hiei insisted. 

Genkai spoke up, "What about your futago? I can't imagine that they appreciated that sudden jolt and speed." 

Snorting, Hiei stood up, no worse for wear, "Himoto and Enshou were fine. I doubt that these two _wouldn't_ like the ride." Glancing quickly down at them, he noticed that the one musuko was still sucking his thumb. Another rush of happiness flashed through him, and he smiled slightly. 

Genkai shook her head, "I think that it's time to sleep again. And this time, stay asleep." She walked away to her room, muttering about late at night awakenings. 

*-*-*

Kibaha - ever the more outgoing of his siblings by risking to call him 'oniisan' - pounced onto Hiei's legs. Hiei chuckled, and brought Kibaha into his arms, hugging him tightly. The kitsune squirmed, and giggled in Hiei's strong arms. The only reason that Kibaha was able to move at all was because Hiei's arms were loose enough to allow such movement. Any tighter, and he could crush Kibaha. 

Something that he never wanted to do. The death of a child - any child, not just his own - was bad enough. To be the direct cause of that death would be horrific. 

These were not things that Hiei was thinking of though. Was he _was_ thinking of was just where Kibaha's most ticklish spot might still be located. Hiei began to tickle the little kitsune's ribs. Kibaha shrieked in a high pitched giggle; straight to the high heavens. Hiei did not stop until he realized that he was hungry. 

With this realization, Hiei stopped his assault on Kibaha, and picked the toddler up, carrying him into the kitchen with him. 

In the kitchen was the Makai warlord, Mukuro. Around her were Hyouchuu, Nohara, and Naji, fresh from their baths. Very fresh. They were still nude. And they were dancing around Mukuro. She had a very perplexed look on her face, and Hiei couldn't help but laugh. 

She scowled at him, but he just couldn't stop his laughter. Finally, Mukuro snapped, "It's not funny, Hiei!" 

The laughter faded away slowly, but finally it did stop, turning into a highly amused smile. He realized that she was staring at him, and he blinked a few times. Was there another zit on his face or something? That cream that Shizuru had given him had worked wonders. It was a relief even! The waters of the Makai had hardly been clean, so, of course, it had been near impossible to be rid of the annoying red protuberances. 

Yuusuke was still found snickering at him from time to time though, 'pizza-face' being mumbled on his lips behind a hand to hide his laughter and the words. 

"What's wrong?" Hiei touched his face a bit to feel if there were any zits, but there wasn't anything on his face. 

She grinned, "You don't smile enough. _Or_ laugh enough." 

Hiei flashed her another smile, "There are naked girls in this kitchen." 

"Oh, really?" She sighed. "I didn't see them at all." 

He set Kibaha down, and grabbed all of the girls into his arms, "Girls, you're all naked. You need clothes." 

"Iie!" They all shouted, and squiggled in his arms. Since they were all still fairly wet, and thus slippery, Hyouchuu slid easily out of his arms and tried to run away. 

Chuckling, Hiei motioned to her, "Mukuro, could you get her?" 

Hyouchuu was easily caught, and, as they kicked and screamed in their arms, they were brought to Hyouchuu and Nohara's room. Nohara and Naji pouted up at Hiei, but he only dropped them on a bed, and grabbed some clothes - looking away for only a moment - only to find that the two had slipped away. There were shrieks of laughter coming from the hallway, and Hiei chuckled, chasing after them. It seemed that Mukuro had made the same mistake because he heard Hyouchuu behind him, running the other way and laughing loudly. 

Hiei spotted a flash of Naji's white hair as she turned the corner, and he then went just a tad faster than he was going. Not going anywhere near his normally extreme speed, Hiei took time with the chase. They were only children after all, and they just wanted a bit of fun. 

A shout from somewhere else in the shrine informed Hiei that Mukuro was not as educated in the way of children as he, and that Hyouchuu was soon to be clothed. Grinning almost foolishly, Hiei upped his gait, and saw Nohara and Naji just ahead. He scooped them up into his arms, and spun about. 

They smiled up at him, red and golden eyes shining brightly, and then he was swiftly walking back to their room. 

When he came to the room, Mukuro had just pulled a shirt over Hyouchuu's head, and was, now, reaching over for a pair of pants. While she wasn't looking, the little Koorime tugged it back off, and threw it on Mukuro's head. 

Bewildered by the act of insubordination, Mukuro stared at Hyouchuu as if she were the greatest puzzle. One which could never be solved. Hiei watched her, grinning, as she put the shirt back on Hyouchuu, and then the pants. She nodded to herself, and when she turned to smile triumphantly at Hiei, a pair of pants and a shirt - previously being on a little Koorime - landed on her shoulder and head. 

Sighing in defeat, Hiei set down the still giggling, squirming, and nude girls, and then all three of them bolted out the door. Mukuro raised an eyebrow at his actions, but he only shrugged, and his smile became suddenly contagious because Mukuro smiled back at him. 

Then she sighed heavily, and then went out into the living room, Hiei following. They sat on the couch together, and Hiei asked, "So, what brings you here other than the thrill of seeing naked little girls?" 

Another smile, and she said, "The thrill of convincing you to unclothe. Now, come on, I want to see them." 

Without a complaint or glare in her direction, Hiei pulled off the shirt which was slightly larger than those he normally wore. He was not wearing his belts any longer, and hadn't been for about two weeks due to his growing futago. 

She smirked, "What about the pants?" 

Hiei shook his head, smiling, "Not for your eyes." 

"My eyes, or not for all eyes in general? Or . . . ?" 

Shocked, Hiei thought that over. He knew that she was only playing, but he couldn't help but think it over. What _did_ he mean by that? Would he want Mukuro to look - to see him as such? Did he want to avoid all eyes? Deny everyone the privilege of seeing him nude? Or . . . ? 

Or was he reserving that for someone else? 

Tilting her head to the side, Mukuro asked, "Are you all right?" 

"Ye - yes," Hiei said, "just thinking." 

"About what?" 

*-*-*

"Hiei!" 

Silence. 

"Hiei!" 

Still no answer. 

"Damn it! Get your ass over here! I can't scream your full name! I don't remember it!" 

A heavy sigh, and then Hiei finally opened his door, "What do you want?" 

Yuusuke smiled, and grabbed his arm, pulling him out into the hallway with him, "Come out drinking with us!" 

"Yuusuke, I wouldn't drink even if my futago allowed me to." 

He shrugged, "Just come out with us, and hang out." 

"Why?" 

"You need to go out and relax before your musuko actually come out." He snickered, "Besides, you won't get another chance for a while. You're getting fat." 

"Thanks for noticing, Yuusuke," Hiei snorted. "The thing is this though . . . why the hell would I want to go out into the Ningenkai?" 

"Anou . . ." 

"Please, Hiei, you need to relax," Kurama put in. 

"Yeah!" Came Kuwabara's voice, cheerful and vibrant. Then it suddenly hardened, "And maybe we can do that parent talk after that. We'd be able to keep an eye on Urameshi, so we'll know what he's up to. That way he can't avoid it." 

So, Kuwabara knew about Yuusuke shirking from their meetings? Of course, he knew that Yuusuke didn't show up; Kuwabara went to every one! However, he understood the implications behind Yuusuke's actions? Why their leader abandoned his responsibility – his role? Hiei _knew_ that Kuwabara was a perceptive individual, however, whatever respect gained by his sixth sense was usually overlooked because of the ningen's stupidity. It was sometimes tough to remember just how knowing the oaf actually was about this sort of thing. On a side note, Kuwabara knew that it was about to be an oyaji. In fact, he was an _excellent_ oyaji – so, he knew exactly what Yuusuke was avoiding. 

Yuusuke blanched at his friend's hard tone. 

A chance to get Yuusuke to sit still for one of their meets, with no abrupt leavings or lame excuse? 

"I'll go," Hiei said. 

*-*-*

Yuusuke was staring despondently out into the bar, absently stirring his drink. Kurama glanced at him from time to time, but otherwise said nothing about the tantei's behavior. The youko had concealed his otherworldly features – simply twisting light to block out his ears, and wearing very loose pants to hide his tail in. He was sitting on it in a way that he grimaced often. 

Kuwabara was dead drunk, guffawing loudly at something that the bartender had said. It hadn't been all that funny, but he had found _something_ amusing about it. Maybe, it was a ningen thing, and it wasn't contagious. 

Zura – the name was on her tag - raised her eyebrow at the oaf, and chuckled lightly, obviously as amused by Kuwabara's antics as he was at her definition of why English speakers said 'Long time, no see.' She chatted, "So, are any of you fine men hitched?" 

The oaf smiled, "Yeah! To the most beautiful woman _ever!_" 

_Well, at least, he isn't babbling about her Koorime beauty,_ Hiei frowned. _And no mention of the Makai or Reikai yet . . ._

She smiled at that, and turned to the other three, "What about you guys?" 

Yuusuke seemed to cheer a bit at the thought of Keiko, "Well, I can't compete with the great Kuwabara Kazuma and his Yukina, but she's really sweet when I'm not being a jerk." 

Snorting, Hiei shot at him, "And that's not very often." 

"Urusai," he grumbled. Then he snickered, "Besides, she's cute when she's mad." 

Kurama's bad mood over his sore tail took a turn for the worse, "I have a lover, but with the way things are going, there might as well not be one." 

"Huh?" Yuusuke asked, "I thought that you and Byakko worked things out." 

"I tried to talk to her," he sighed, "but nothing I said seemed to have any affect on her." Zura frowned softly, "That's too bad. If I were her, I'd cling to you, and never let go. What's wrong with her?" 

"She . . . Byakko has trouble dealing with commitment. We have three beautiful children, and she-!" He stopped himself, clenching his fangs in obvious annoyance. Or maybe he had been about to say something that would make Zura suspect something. One never could tell with that youko. 

The bartender sighed, and patted his shoulder, "Wish that I could help you, but all I have for you is alcohol, and that doesn't help much." 

He shook his head sadly, "Thank you for your concern. I think that I'll indulge myself in that offer a while longer anyway." 

Zura nodded, and wisely gave Kurama another shot of whiskey. Then her gaze turned to Hiei, "You don't seem so depressed, and you're not drinking, so what's this wonder of yours like? She hot?" 

"No wonder," Hiei murmured, suddenly frowning to himself. "I'm single." 

"Oh, really? I wouldn't mind snatching you." Zura winked, "But my girlfriend wouldn't take to that idea very readily. Maybe if we shared you though, she would consider it . . ." 

Yuusuke and Kuwabara snickered at that, and Hiei said, "Maybe I'll consider it too." 

This caused the hanyou and ningen to stop, and stare wide-eyed at the half Koorime, "Eh?! What?!" Yuusuke shouted, "Hiei, what the hell are you thinking about?!" 

"I'm thinking," he began, "that I've found a way to have a lot of fun." 

The two blanched, and he watched them, smirking. 

"Fun," the woman remarked, and then chuckled. 

*-*-*

"You know, Hiei . . ." 

When Yuusuke said no more, Hiei turned to look at him as they walked back to the shrine, "What is it?" 

"Well . . ." Yuusuke began, "I was thinking . . . Why _don't_ you have a girl? That chick seemed to think that you were drool worthy material, so what gives?" 

The Koorime looked back at the street as they walked, and shrugged. 

Kuwabara slurred, still highly drunk, "I bet that the shrimp's not interested." 

Yuusuke blinked a few times, and then his lip curled back a bit, "You mean he's gay?" 

Snorting, Hiei stated, "No, I'm bisexual, but that's not the point." 

The tantei seemed to try to digest that bit of information, but because it either didn't completely digest or it went down the wrong way Yuusuke sneered, "You mean that you've been staring at us?" 

"I've never '_stared_' at any of you." 

Behind them a bit, Kurama chuckled, also slightly drunk, "Why not? Aren't we pretty enough?" 

Hiei glanced over at Kuwabara, and then shuddered slightly, "I was never _that_ interested in any of you." 

Finally after a long pause, and the sticky, tense silence, Yuusuke asked, "So, why don't you have anyone?" 

"Well . . . I wasn't interested enough in anyone that I was with to try anything dealing with commitment." Hiei shrugged, "I'm young yet, though; I'll find someone." 

He nodded absently, and then asked, "So, why didn't you wait?" 

Blinking in surprise, Hiei looked back up at Yuusuke, "What do you mean?" 

"Why didn't you wait for that special girl to have kids with? Why do this? I'd think that it'd be a last resort thing." 

A long, tired sigh from Hiei, and then Yuusuke's half-scowl disappeared. Hiei said, "It was." 

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" 

"I . . . wanted to catch up with you guys. Your kids are going to be going off to that ningen school soon, and Kurama's might grow up too soon with Byakko. I just wanted to . . . I don't know." 

Hesitantly, Yuusuke patted Hiei on the shoulder, and Hiei snapped, "I'm not going to bite you!" He leered playfully, and leaned closer, "Unless you want me to." 

Hiei almost didn't see the swing, but he grabbed Yuusuke's fist just in time before it connected with his stomach. His eyes widened in disbelief, and Yuusuke seemed to realize what he was about to do. Slack jawed, Yuusuke backed up a step, "Hiei, I-" 

Snarling, he sent a flurry of fists into Yuusuke's gut and face, forcing the Reikai Tantei to back up into a tree. However, the tree couldn't stand Hiei's pressure, and splintered into two pieces with Yuusuke still backing away from the furious Koorime. "My musuko! My futago! You almost killed them! If I hadn't stopped you, they'd be dead!" 

Through his punches, Yuusuke shouted, "Suman! Suman! I didn't mean to! I just forgot!" 

Hiei stopped, his attack, breathing hard and growling at the same time, "You forgot?! Your stupid and thoughtless fear that I – your friend! – might try to take advantage of you caused you to forget?!" He slammed his fist into Yuusuke's jaw, and his body seemed to fly straight through a tree. Several of them, in fact. 

Yuusuke didn't get up, only covering his head, "I didn't mean to, Hiei. It was an accident. If I had been thinking . . . Suman, Hiei." 

Hiei growled, "But you weren't thinking, tantei. I was just joking about that. I guess that an implied relationship between men is out of the question for joking topic though." 

Taking a deep breath, Yuusuke started, "Suman, Hiei. I was just brought up to hate shit like that." 

"Do you hate me for it, Yuusuke?" 

"I . . . Iya, I don't hate you, Hiei, it's just weird, you know." 

"After all of the shit you've been through," Hiei snorted, "you find _this_ the weird thing?" 

He sighed, and stood up, "Suman, Hiei, if there was anything that I would do last in this world, _that_ would be it." 

"It almost was." 

"Suman, I'll . . ." 

"Yuusuke," Hiei said, "Just forget that I ever said anything. For you, I think that would be best." 

Their leader nodded uneasily, and shakily brushed away some debris from his clothes. He murmured, "I won't do that _ever_ again." 

Hiei nodded, "See to it that you don't." 

The trip back to the shrine was silent. 

*-*-*

Whoa, I'm done with this chapter finally. And what a masterpiece! I really like this chapter. I don't know why, but I do. Maybe it's the foreshadowing displayed in this last scene. 

Or maybe it's the image of the three naked little girls dancing around Mukuro. 

Whatever. 

Foreshadowing? Well, actually the afterwards for this foreshadowing won't appear until I finish up another story to this arc. Oh! 

And for those that haven't realized this yet: 'Cute Couple,' my Hiei/Mukuro fic is part of the arc. 

What arc? The Pregnant Fathers Arc. It's only called that because I don't want to bother thinking up any other name because I'm lazy. Besides, I think that this story is the main part. The central story. At least, one of them. I have an idea for one more long ass story, but before I put out that other one, I want to finish all of the other stories to this arc. There are several story ideas in my head for this arc. I hope that you readers and reviewers out there reading this stick around for them all. 

I can't wait to see the finished result. 

Ja mata! 

*-*-*


	5. Second Trimester: Week One

*-*-* 

Pregnant Fathers 

*-*-* 

Second Trimester: Week One 

*-*-* 

Riku - Agony of Separation 

*-*-* 

Hiei really wished that Shizuru was there with him right now. Not that she would be able to help him of course, but . . . 

But Shizuru was a comfort. A strange comfort, but a comfort. She meant a kind of comfort that his comrades couldn't give him. That the other girls could only share with him through example to their partners. 

_Kami, but I hate to be alone,_ Hiei cradled his head in his arms, and sighed heavily. 

He was supposed to be sleeping, but he just couldn't get comfortable. Thus he was thinking. Thinking often brought him to unpleasant thoughts. So, now, he was tired and depressed. 

Hiei was cranky. 

_Shizuru would know what to do . . ._ Not as if she'd be able to give him any advice on how to get to sleep - she'd never been pregnant after all. However, somehow, she'd make him feel better. 

Sobs took up again from down the hall. Botan. Again. This was the fifth week! 

_Koenma! If you're not going to be there for her, I'll take her myself if I have to! She needs someone to be there! Koenma . . . I hate you. Just make her stop crying . . ._

He was a god, right? He'd be able to hear Hiei's prayers . . . right? 

Then again, Koenma wasn't a mind reader. Suddenly and somehow, thoroughly convinced that it would work, Hiei carefully rolled out of bed, and knealt beside it. He frowned to himself, trying to remember just how he had seen ningen do this. Were their hands folded on the bed? Or had they been folded into their laps? Or was it that they were pressed together in front of their faces? Was there some ritual that he had to do, or did he have to say it in a certain way? 

"Kuso . . ." he scowled. "Screw this! Koenma! Get your fucking ass down here!" 

Who came was not Koenma. Keiko and Genkai hurried in, the younger woman gasping, and the old teacher just making some irritated noises. Keiko softly touched his shoulder, "Hiei-san, you should get to sleep. Shouting at Koenma won't help you." 

She and Genkai hoisted him onto his feet, and laid him in his bed, Keiko going into the living room for a moment. 

Hiei hardly noticed them, tiredly muttering almost incomprehensibly to himself, "Damn you, Koenma. Get down here. Botan . . . my baby-buddy needs you . . . If I can't be happy, at least, she should . . ." 

She came back in a moment later with some extra pillows, with which she propped Hiei up with. Sighing in relief, and now in a comfortable position, Hiei's eyes drifted shut, and sleep claimed him. 

*-*-*

"Yuusuke . . ." 

The Reikai Tantei tilted his head to the side, obviously curious about why Hiei was so quiet. Yuusuke frowned thoughtfully, and asked, "What do you want?" 

"I've been wondering about something. Could you go to the Reikai?" 

"What for? I've got things to do. I can't just go frolicking into the Reikai on the crazy whims of a pregnant Koorime." 

Hiei's eyes flared abruptly, "I know what you're thinking about, tantei, and it's not appreciated." 

Sighing, he looked away, and avoided eye contact with the Koorime. Hiei sighed sadly, and murmured, "Yuusuke, are we friends?" 

He looked back up at Hiei helplessly, "Hiei . . ." 

"It's all right; you don't have to answer that," he said bitterly, and then he asked, "Are you Botan's friend?" 

"Ye - yes, I am" Yuusuke swallowed nothing, and waited. 

"Then, if not for me, go to the Reikai for her. Bring Koenma down here." 

His brown eyes widened in surprise, "Nani? Doushite?" 

"He's an oyaji, and he should be down here sharing that _joy_ with his wife." 

"But . . . Botan's okay with it. She told him straight to his face that she didn't want her and the baby to get in the way of his work." 

"She lied, and if she wasn't lying then, she's regretting saying it now." 

"How would _you_ know, Hiei?" Yuusuke asked, frowning, "You doing some woman-to-woman bonding?" 

Hiei gritted his fangs menacingly, "I didn't think that we had digressed this far, tantei." He stood up slowly - partly to accomodate his new girth - and drew his katana, "So, let's go." 

"What?! Hiei, have you gone mad?!" 

Hissing at Yuusuke, he edged closer, and bared his fangs. Just before Hiei could leap though Koenma popped into exsistance between them, "No fighting! You especially - Hiei! Let me go!" 

"I _knew_ it!" The Koorime snarled through his fangs, shaking the toddler god by his neck, "You come to _me_ before your own wife! Kuso! Koenma, do you know how much she misses you?!" He stopped shaking him, and just held him there, suspended before him. "She cries every night now, Koenma. I'd comfort her myself if it would do any good." He tightened his grip around his throat for emphasis, "I'll take her from you, and give her the attention that she and _your_ child needs, but since I'm not really one to separate family members, I'll present you to Botan. _Maybe_ she'll take you back." 

Koenma made a gurgling sound, but Hiei ignored him, carrying him off through the shrine to where he knew that she and the other girls were. They were having another one of their baby meetings when Hiei dumped Koenma in Botan's lap. 

She stared down at Koenma for a long time before staring in wonder up at Hiei, "How did you . . . ?" And then she glared at the god, "Where have you been?!" When he began to tremble, and scoot back in her lap, she practically suffocated him with a tight embrace, "I've missed you so much!" 

Botan began to cry, rocking the bewildered Koenma to her breast. With tearful eyes she looked up at Hiei to thank him, however he was more preoccupied with staring at the new comer. 

A woman . . . 

The woman that hadn't been visited for over _three weeks_! 

But Hiei couldn't let her know how much she had been . . . missed. 

She smiled impishly at him, her light brown eyes twinkling, "Hey, Hiei, I haven't seen you in a while." 

His eye twitched slightly, and she raised an eyebrow at this. Then Hiei walked away stiffly, leaving them to stare after him. 

Damn her! Damn her and that smile! What business had she to just suddenly show up out of the sky with that smile after being away from him for so long?! He had been so close to shredding her limb from limb! 

Hiei held his head as he sat down heavily on his bed. It creaked in response when he then shifted to lay down, only to find that laying down still wasn't comfortable, and that he couldn't get up as he normally did. He groaned in sudden understanding. Hiei was going to have to start doing those ridiculous squiggling movements like in the last pregnancy! 

He groaned as he sat up, still not entirely used to the strange shifting of his musuko moving around inside. There he sat, staring at the wall, and trying to think through things. Hopefully, Koenma was going to stick around for Botan's pregnancy, or at least make regular visits. Maybe he'd even be able to see the birth of his child if that were the case. And Kurama . . . 

As Hiei buried his face into his hands, he sighed rather pathetically. The beautiful children of Kurama. It was becoming more and more likely that Byakko was going to leave, and take the children with her to the Makai. But what was _Hiei_ supposed to do about it? She had never really liked him due to the fact that Hiei and Kurama had always been a bit close, and of course, that caused jealously within the youko. He certainly couldn't talk to her, since she definately wouldn't listen to him, and it was apparent that Kurama had already spoken with her. Whether Kurama was in love with Byakko or not was moot point; Hiei _knew_ that Kurama was in love with his children, and he would do anything to keep those children with him except kill their ofukuro. Kurama respected her too much for that, love or no love between them. 

In the end, Hiei knew that he would only be a spectator to his friend's heart being ripped from his chest. No matter what he did, Kurama was going to lose his children. Byakko was their ofukuro, she had charge of how they would be raised or not be raised if she didn't want children at all. 

And then Yuusuke . . . what was he to do about _him_? In the past time and time again Yuusuke had proved to be a very loving oyaji, but with the coming of Hiei's futago, Yuusuke had become much more distant. Where once he was laughing, and playing happily with his musuko, Yuusuke was now either only partly participating, or just standing to the side, watching Sasuke play by himself or with the other children. And always with this old, tired, and pained expression on his face as if he had died, and now could only watch in on his musuko. 

Hiei mourned for the boy whom had unknowingly lost his oyaji. If Yuusuke wanted to be a good oyaji, he should go back to his old ways! 

He laid back on the bed once more, and then grimaced, irritated with how his spine felt like it would be crushed by the weight of his futago musuko. As he was trying to shift into a more comfortable position, someone knocked on the door. 

Barking at said someone, Hiei tried harder, wanting to _at least_ sit up, "Wait one fucking minute!" 

An all too familiar voice answered him, "I'll wait when I want to, Hiei." 

"Go away, Shizuru!" Hoping beyond anything that she wouldn't see him in such a vulnerable position, Hiei tried to sit up harder. However, it was too late; Shizuru walked right into Hiei's room like she owned the place, took one look at Hiei's predicament, and began to laugh out right. Angry, he gnashed his fangs, "Shut up!" 

She ceased laughing immediately, and marched towards him on his bed, plopping down just above his head. Before he could ask her just what she was up to, Shizuru grabbed his shoulders, and gently yanked his head and shoulders onto her lap. He would have squirmed away, and he would have been able to do so easily because the weight of his futago was no longer centered in such an awkward place, however, he was suddenly shocked by this very fact. 

His hesitation was taken advantage of by Shizuru. She began to tenderly run her fingernails through his hair, and across his scalp. Any counterattack that he could have done after the jolt of being in Shizuru's lap - and said lap was _extremely_ comfortable for the hi youkai - was thoroughly forgetten due to her lovely nails scratching his scalp. Her fingernails moved down to lightly scratch near the nape of his neck. It took Hiei a moment to realize that he was purring, and the movement of her fingernails brushing the back of his neck made him moan involuntarily. 

Realizing the slip, Hiei snapped his fangs shut, and prayed that Shizuru wouldn't stop because of the pleasure he had just revealed that he was experiencing. And, thankfully, she didn't cease. In fact, she even continued scratching in _that_ spot. 

Hiei was a puddle in her hands, loving those same hands, and the things that they were doing to him. He thought to himself in his daze, _For once, it's okay. For once, it feels right. I will stay here in her arms for the rest of my life, and die utterly complete._ It came to Hiei some seconds, minutes, or just maybe even hours later that Shizuru was only a ningen, and that her arms would have long turned into plants that her dust had fed before he died. He sighed out a soft moan, and pressed his cheek to her lower abdomen, trying to remember the feeling of the strangely intimate, yet pleasant, embrace that he had found himself to be in. 

He knew that he was growing hard, but he couldn't pull away from her, too enraptured by her to even _think_ about moving away at this point. Shizuru's nails seemed to be _made_ for just this. Her nails scraped down his neck, and Hiei gasped softly, burrowing his head deeper into her stomach. A soft moan escaped his lips, muffled sounding against her stomach as her hands moved lower. Down his chest, her palms brushing against hardened nipples, and then she stroked his bulging belly through his shirt before taking the hem of his shirt, and lifting it up. 

"Hiei, they're gorgeous," she whispered. Blinking in surprise, his purring faltered a moment before thrumming hard again, and Hiei looked up at her with slightly lidded eyes. When she noticed that he was looking at her, Shizuru smiled softly at him. "So, do you mind telling me why you gave me the cold shoulder?" 

"You left me," he breathed out, "you just weren't there anymore . . ." he scowled at her confused, owlish look, and yanked on her hair, bringing her face to face with him, "and then you came back as if everything was the same! You smiled like you always did!" 

"I thought that I told you," she began, "that I would try to come every weekend. But I _do_ have a life besides the strange one that I have with you Reikai Tantei. I'll come when I can, Hiei, not when _you_ think that I should." 

With a sigh Hiei released her hair, and fell back into her lap, looking away. She took up stroking the nape of his neck again with her nails, and he shuddered from the contact. His moan made him snap out of it, and he grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from him. Hiei gritting through his fangs, "Stop it." 

Frowning slightly, she asked, "Aren't we friends?" 

The question surprised him, and he stared up at her, "Ha - hai, we're friends." 

"And friends do things for each other, right?" 

"Right," he unconsciously licked his lips. 

She smiled, "Then let me pet you. You seem to like it at any rate." 

All Hiei could do was nod as he gazed up at her smiling face, her hands slipping out of his loosened grip, and finding their way back into his hair. 

*-*-*

A couple mornings later found Hiei atop the roof half-sitting and half-leaning beside and against a beam. He was very . . . satisfied. Happy even. Shizuru was coming over that day, and the moment that they were alone, Hiei planned to melt against her once again. The experience had been near to orgasmic for the pregnant Koorime. She scratched his head, and massaged down his neck and shoulders. His chest was attacked with fine, delicate touches, her nails sometimes scraping, but mostly just smoothing her palms over his chest, and aroused nipples. And to say that he had been _aroused_ was an understatement. 

Had she touched _anywhere_ nearer to his manhood, Hiei would have thrown her down, and fucked the living daylights out of her. 

Abruptly, he sat up straight, eyes wide. Would he _really_ have done that to her? He had been in enough control that he hadn't hardened into the raging hard-on that he had wanted to reveal just to relieve some of the pressure of keeping it under wraps. However . . . had he really been so aroused by the way that she had been touching him? 

He patted his belly absently as his futago shifted within. 

Would he have done that while pregnant? 

Being pregnant had _definately_ not subdued any of his sexual urges. In fact, his urges had doubled three times over as he got bigger and bigger! Shizuru had been extremely lucky to have not been taken that day she was petting him. It was likely that - when he was pregnant with Himoto and Enshou - if all the youkai that had attacked him hadn't been so hideous, he would have fucked them into oblivion too. 

Hiei snorted, _Well, at least, my hormones have **some** sense of taste . . ._

He settled back into his more comfortable spot - standing or sitting up straight usually gave him back pains - and planned to just zone out until Shizuru returned to the shrine. There really wasn't anything for him to do anyway. He _was_ getting more tired though; he likely needed the nap. 

"Hiei!" Yuusuke called, snapping Hiei out of a little, certain . . . daydream. Grumbling, Hiei decided to ignore him, "Hiei! Get down from there! Don't make me try to remember your whole name!" 

"Man - nen - yuki! Get it right! Mannenyuki Hiei!" He shouted down. 

"Ee! Whatever you just said! Get down! Your kids don't need you jumping them around everywhere! And . . . ! And . . ." 

Alert for any tricks, Hiei stood up slowly, and walked to the edge of the roof to peer down. Yuusuke had sounded almost worried near the end. Just what was going on with him? "What do you want, tantei?" 

"It's Ku . . ." Yuusuke swallowed nothing before continueing, "It's Kurama, Hiei. Could" - another swallow as if to hold back tears - "could you just get down here?" 

More curious than ever, Hiei shifted through the air to appear at Yuusuke's side, and looked up at him, "What's going on?" 

He didn't say anything more, just starting to walk into the shrine, and Hiei followed him with much trepidation. Had something happened to Kurama? Was he injured? How were the kits and Byakko? This was one of his very best friends after all. If anything were to happen to him, he'd have to stand Yuusuke and Kuwabara! Alone! And the kits would be left alone with Byakko. Who know how _that_ would turn out? 

What he found, probably shouldn't have surprised Mannenyuki Hiei; he was - after all - a _pregnant_ male. What could really shock him after all that had been happening to him? . . . The youko, Kurama, on his knees, his head bowed down to the ground, his silky, silver hair spilling over his shoulders and over the floor, his shoulders shaking. 

Kemono and Kibaha were both clutching tightly to either of his forearms, looking quite spooked. Their tails were limp beside them, and their eyes a bit dull, almost on the verge of tearing up themselves it seemed. 

And Byakko and Naji were nowhere to be seen . . . 

"Oh . . ." Hiei breathed out, and Kurama lifted up his head to look at him through his hair, "Oh, no . . ." 

"I've lost her. My baby, Hiei, my _baby_." 

_She giggled, and said, "Ojisan, can I be your wife?"_

"Hai, Kurama, she was very precious to us all," he whispered to his forlorn friend. 

_Her eyes filled with tears, "Doesn't Ojisan love me?"_

"Why did she take _her_?" 

"We don't know, Kurama-kun," answered Yukina. 

Not that Kurama valued his only musume higher than his musuko. At that point, Kurama was just a being, mouring the loss of a loved one, and wanting to know why one of his most coveted treasures was taken from him - a treasure which he could not rightfully take back unless he wanted to feel the wrath of the whole female side of the Makai fall down upon him. 

_The little youko girl smiled, "So, if you want musume, can I be your wife?"_

Hiei suddenly wanted to go back in time, and kiss her cheek just because it seemed that he hadn't done that enough in his eyes, _If that means that I can see you once more - that I can see you as that sweet little youko girl that asked me to marry her - then, yes, Naji-chan. As many as you want._

"But my baby . . ." 

"Is gone," the Jaganshi murmured, "and I don't think that Byakko will return her. Gomen nasai, Kurama, you'll just . . . just have to face the facts." As ridiculous as it might have made him feel at any other time of his life, Hiei carefully dropped to his knees, and scooted closer to Kurama to take his hand and squeeze it. 

"You're not suffering alone," Genkai began, "you can never suffer alone while those who you love are there beside you." Kurama squeezed Hiei's hand back as Genkai continued, "We might not know entirely how you feel, but we know that you are in pain." 

"Ee, Kurama," Yuusuke said, smiling pathetically, "and we're going to stick through all of this shit with you. People shouldn't suck it up alone." 

"It hurts, Kurama," Hiei clenched his jaws, gritting his fangs together to hold back sobs, but he felt his eyes water anyway. Kurama wrapped his arms around Hiei as if to support himself, but Hiei was suddenly leaning against him too, his face in the youko's shoulder, and he wasn't entirely sure just who was holding whom up. When Hiei unclenched his jaw to speak again, the sobs were released, and pearly dark blue hiruiseki fell down Kurama's back, "It's hurts to suffer alone." 

_"Okay," she said, and she kissed Hiei's cheek. "We'll get married, and have lots of musume."_

*-*-*

Whoa . . . another nice one, ne? And it almost suits my mood. I've been kind of . . . a little bit . . . 'iffy' I guess is the best way to decribe it. So this kind of suits me for now. Anyway, if you haven't noticed, I have another story of the 'Pregnant Fathers Arc' out. It's called 'Changes for Young People,' and it's about one of Hiei's musuko and Sasuke being . . . well, _friendly_ together. 

Yes, I have a yaoi out finally, and they're OCs, _and_ . . . it's a lemon. 

So if there are any Hiei/Kurama fans out there reading this, that last scene is probably as close as I'll get to having those two get together - except in my 'Three Headaches' story, but that's just kind of weird. It was a pretty scene anyway, be happy with it! 

Also, if you've been living in the gutters for the past couple months, I have a site with all my fics on it. You should visit it . . . now . . . now! 

Hmmm . . . what else was there to say? 

Oh, and Hiei wasn't being a pervert with Naji in this last scene. I guess that he was just a bit depressed or something to that extent. Wasn't it sad and cute at the same time?! 

Ignore me . . . 

Ja mata! 

*-*-* 


	6. Second Trimester: Week Three

*-*-* 

Pregnant Fathers 

*-*-* 

Second Trimester: Week Three 

*-*-* 

Ningyou no Seikon - The Doll's Wedding 

*-*-* 

_Your relationship is the garden in which your child grows.   
~Gayle Peterson _

Sex may teach a man and woman the delight of coming together; marriage may suffuse us with the comfort and healing that comes from knowing and being known; but it takes a child to tutor us in the virtue of hope.   
~Sam Keen 

Hiei had a sudden urge to shred apart the book in his hands - or to at least throw it across the room, and not pick it up for another couple weeks. The more he read the book, 'Pregnant Fathers,' the more he began to doubt what he was trying to accomplice. It talked about fatherhood; it talked about the relationship between a man and the child he brought to life; and it talked about the relationship between said man and the woman that he created the child with. Especially about the relationship between the man and woman. 

What did _he_ need that information for anyway? It would be just him and his boys after all was said and done. There wasn't . . . Hiei swallowed a dry lump in his throat, and then just forgot about the before loathed book entirely, getting up, and leaving it sitting on his bed where he would probably later despise it all over again. 

"Ojisan!" The moment Hiei showed up in the living room, Hyouchuu and Nohara sprang to their feet from their seat on their ofukuro's lap, and ran to his side to grab either of his hands with both of theirs, "Ojisan, play with us!" 

Yukina and the usual women were sitting in the living room along with Shizuru and Mukuro. His liege lady got up, and gently poked his stomach, "Hiei, you've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you." 

Hiei looked back and forth from the curious Mukuro to the suddenly pouting children, unsure of which to please first for a fraction of a moment. Then Hiei bent down to the futago, and murmured to them "How about the two of you give me my check up before we go out and play? Give Mukuro a chance to see them?" 

"Hai!" Nohara cheered, "We have to make sure that it's okay for you to play." 

Mukuro covered a smile with her bionic hand when Hiei glared at her after hearing a suspicious chuckle from her direction. However, his scowl faded, and he plopped into the seat that Mukuro had vacated, which was right next to Shizuru. He hadn't known for certain whether anything was wrong with sitting beside her until Shizuru reached over, and began to lightly pet through his thick, silky hair to gently scratch his scalp with her long nails. He wasn't given the chance to even gasp out his surprise because Hyouchuu and Nohara practically laept into his lap, and started pulling out his shirt from his pants to properly see his futago. 

He turned his head to stare at her oddly, but then her hand was suddenly gone, and Hiei felt a bit lost without it. 

"Ojisan?" Hiei looked back at his meichan, Nohara, "You ate today, right?" 

Again that suspicious chuckle from somewhere in the direction of Mukuro, but Hiei bore through it with a sigh, "Ee, breakfast and lunch." 

The two gasped as one, "No afternoon snack?!" 

He raised an eyebrow at them, "This is a crime?" 

"Hai! Hai!" Hyouchuu continued after they shouted together, "You got to keep up your strength!" 

Nohara went right over her, "And our itoko-chan need to know they get afternoon snacks everyday!" 

"Oh?" Hiei smirked, "I didn't know that _you two_ were going to raise my boys." 

They beamed up at him obliviously, and Nohara said, "Hai! We're going to make sure they get their meals everyday." 

"Ne, Nohara, Hyouchuu," he began, chuckling, "you do know that I'll take care of them, right?" 

"Aa, but _we'll_ be there to make sure that you don't mess up." 

He frowned softly then. Did they actually believe that he was going to continue living there with them? It was only supposed to be a passing thing. After he and Botan had their children, the two would soon go back to their normal lives with other lives joining them. "Meichan . . . after the futago are born . . . I'm not staying here. I'm going back to the Makai as soon as I get all my strength back." 

Very quickly after he said that, the smiles on their faces dispersed, and Nohara took up a quiet wailing cry as Hyouchuu blinked up at him with wide red eyes, "You're leaving us too? But why, Ojisan?" 

Sniffling, Nohara said, "I don't want you to go too, Ojisan . . ." 

"I'm not leaving for good," he tried to reassure them before he collected anymore hiruiseki on his lap, "I'll come and visit with my futago." 

"But, _Ojisan_!" 

"Musumechan," Yukina reprimanded them gently as only Yukina could, "your ojisan lives in the Makai. It's where he wants to raise his musuko." 

They turned their tearfull gazes up toward Yukina - which was away from Hiei, thankfully - and Hyouchuu said, "But, Okaasan, why can't he stay here? We want him and our itoko-chan to stay!" 

"We know, Musumechan, but your ojisan wants to go back to the Makai. Besides, he has a duty there. He's Mukuro-sama's heir, remember? He can't just stop being her heir." 

Immediately, they turned to Mukuro, "Order him to stay here!" 

She snorted softly, smirking, "'_Order_ him?' _Hiei_?" He scowled slightly at that remark, but she only smirked more, "Well, it's true." 

On his other side, Shizuru nodded, "Ee, I really can't see you actually obeying anyone." 

Rolling his eyes, he explained, "I can follow orders, but nothing stupid." _Wrong choice of words,_ flashed through his head briefly when Hyouchuu and Nohara began to wail on his lap before him. Sweating nervously as more hiruiseki appeared on his lap, Hiei tried to silence them, "I didn't mean it like that . . ." 

Smiling softly at him, Yukina, picked them both up, "Oh, Musumechan, you're both so silly." 

After they hushed down, she put them down, and the two scampered off, frowning slightly up at Hiei before doing so. His gut twisted a moment at the sight of their faces like that. After a long moment of tense quiet, Hiei stood up, and stalked away to his room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. He stared at the door a while before opening it, and slamming it shut, the loud noise after all that silence satisfying him greatly. In fact, it was _so_ satisfying that Hiei opened the door just to slam it again, and then did it again . . . but that didn't seem to be enough for the Koorime because he kept at it, slamming the door harder and harder after each time. When he opened the door to slam it for the umpteenth time, Shizuru stepped into the doorway, and he held the doorknob in his hand, waiting for her to speak. 

She wasted no time, "So how much longer are you going to keep up this racket?" 

He had a sudden unconscious urge to fidget, but he remained still, staring up into her eyes. Thinking to himself, he discreetly looked her body up and down, _When did she get to be so beautiful?_ Hiei felt a slight tightening in his groin, but he held it back . . . at least enough that it didn't show through his pants, and he could still feel the sweet strain of keeping it under wrap. 

Though he knew it to be dangerous to keep himself on the edge as he was while looking straight at the woman of his desire, Hiei wasn't at a point of caring then, opting to just gaze at her contentedly, and knowing that doing that might just be the thing that would make him snap and fuck her right in the hallway. 

_Kuso . . ._ It only took the mere _thought_ of the act to grab her arm, and pull her inside, using the momentum to swing her toward his bed. The back of her legs hit the side of the bed, causing her to fall back, her breasts bouncing as she did. Hiei watched as her breasts slowed their bouncing, and then lifted his eyes to the indignant look on Shizuru's face. 

"What do you think that you're doing?" She asked, standing up already. He didn't answer, but he did quietly shut the door, and her eyes narrowed slightly, watching his movements carefully. "Hiei, what are you doing?" Shizuru whispered. 

The summer heat of July had made Shizuru choose to wear a simple tank top, and for once, she was wearing a skirt. One that went just below her mid thigh. All he had to do was flip up the skirt, pull off any of those panties that ningen wore, and then he would be in. He scowled down at his pants. Except for one more thing. But it was still so simple. 

"Hiei . . ." 

He growled at her for silence, and her mouth shut, her lips twisting slightly in distaste. However, it wasn't long before she tried again. 

"Hiei," she started, and when his growl didn't daunt her, she said, "I don't know what you're up to exactly, but those waves of lust coming off of you isn't very reassuring." 

Grimacing, Hiei tore his eyes away from her, and leaned against the door, sliding down it to sit against it. He rested his hands on his knees, gripping them tightly to restrain himself from stripping away his pants, and watched her intently for a long time before finally murmuring, "You better get out of here." 

Her eyes narrowed into smaller slits, and then she stood up slowly, walking to where Hiei was leaning against the door. She stopped directly in front of him, and he stared up at her in confusion, "Why should I?" 

"Get out of here," he gritted through his fangs, almost pleadingly. "Get _out_." 

"Why? Feeling a bit unmanly? Embarrassed that you can't please me?" 

His eyes bugged out before he grabbed her hips, and planted his lips around where her center was under her skirt, sucking hard. Gasping at the sudden pressure, Shizuru tried to stay balanced by bracing herself on the door with her hands. She panted softly while Hiei's hands rubbed her thighs, wandering up her skirt to cup her ass, and brought her even closer. He pinched the bare ass of hers that he felt, pleased to discover that there were none of those undergarments to be found, and then released her center from his mouth, making her moan softly in want. 

Licking his lips, he purred up to her, "I can't please you, huh? Then what was that if not pleasurable?" 

She took a deep, calming breath, "Hiei, you better hope that you're going to be doing more than just that because I'll beat the shit out of you otherwise." 

He growled deeply, and gently pushed her in the direction of the bed, "Strip, and I'll think about it." 

*-*-* 

A/N: Gomen ne! But I'm not about to risk these reviews. If you want to read the LEMON, either head on down to my site (), go to MediaMiner.Org, or go to AdultFanFiction.Net. I've already lost over one hunadred reviews due to the stupid, little rule. I can't risk another twenty or so. I like my reviews, can't you tell? 

*-*-* 

Blinking curiously at him as he stood up, she sat up slowly, and brushed aside a loch of hair in her face, "So . . ." 

He looked up at her, "So what?" 

Narrowing her eyes, Shizuru said, "Never you mind. My unasked question was just answered." 

When she began to collect her clothes, and was about to pull on her skirt, his eyes widened, and he grabbed her wrist, ceasing her action, _I'm not letting her go after I just got her!_ "Wait, don't-" 

_But who ever said that she was yours?_ A voice in the back of his head taunted, _You fucked her. That's all. That doesn't make her yours._

"Don't what?" 

He gritted his fangs, "Don't go. Stay here." 

She looked into his eyes steadily, and then sighed, her face softening from the hardened state that it had just been in, "Hiei, did you know that you look so cute like that?" 

"Cute?" His eyes widened, the cute appearance of his fangs slightly bared in anger fading slowly, "Me?" 

"Hai, you." 

"Well . . ." Hiei swallowed a lump in his throat. _Is she . . . **flirting** with me? How does flirting work after sex anyway? . . . What happened to the flirting that we were **supposed** to be doing?! That's not a bad thing, is it?_ Would it hurt to flirt back a bit? "If I'm cute," he went on, more certain of himself, "then you must be gorgeous." 

Shizuru smiled softly, and knelt to kiss him gently, and her response to that was a soft purr, and his lips pressed back to hers before she pulled away. She sat back down on the bed, and crossed her arms over her breasts, seemingly aware that she was nude suddenly. 

He answered that voice, _She's not mine now, but she will be. Soon._

Smiling, Hiei found himself looking her over again, and chuckled softly when he found her to be blushing. He sat before her, grinning up at her to show off his fangs. Just before he could attempt to spread her lovely legs though . . . 

"Hiei?" She whispered, and his hands just rested on her thighs, gently stroking Shizuru's inner thighs with his thumbs. 

A bit impatiently, he asked, "Nani?" 

"Are we still friends?" 

_Kuso._ Hiei didn't want to be friends any longer. He wanted the beauty that he had just taken into his arms as his mate. He _needed_ that. Her. It was that feeling - that closeness - that he wanted from her. What he had been feeling for her these past weeks was proof enough that Shizuru just might be the one that he wanted by his side while raising his children. 

However . . . if that question meant what he thought that it meant, what she was really asking was whether their friendship had still remained intact after their first - and very unexpected - round of love-making. At least, that's what it always seemed to mean whenever any past lovers had asked him that, and it seemed to be the same for in those ningen movies too. 

So, if he couldn't have Shizuru for his mate . . . 

"Why _wouldn't_ we be?" 

He'd definately be able to wait for his chance to make her his mate. At any rate, she still had a whole ningen lifetime worth of hilarious stories about Kuwabara that he still hadn't heard yet. 

"Well . . . you _did_ just make love to me, Hiei." 

He shrugged slightly, "Is something wrong with fucking between friends?" 

She sighed, and shook her head, "Not really, I suppose." 

Frowning softly, he gently pricked her thighs with her claws to gain her attention, "What's wrong?" 

Shizuru stared down at him, and then she smirked, "Nothing that can't be fixed by a kiss." 

His fangs flashed her a smile, and he gently tugged down on her hair to kiss her. Once their lips parted, he asked, "All better?" 

"Much," she gently kissed his bandana near his Jagan. 

_Besides,_ Hiei mused to himself as he began to kiss much lower, _I'm sure that she wouldn't mind more; a lot more._

*-*-*

Mukuro scowled at the thing in her hand, trying her best not to give into her urges to shred it apart. 

"Mukuro-sama!" Nohara giggled, "You're supposed to dress the doll up!" 

She sighed in defeat, and picked out a white dress from the pile to put on her own doll. After dressing the thing, she murmured, "So is that all I'm supposed to do? Just dress them up in pretty outfits?" 

"Iie," she said, smiling widely, "now, we have to have a wedding!" 

"Why?" She asked curiously. 

"Because your dolly is dressed up to get married. She's wearing white," Hyouchuu explained patiently as if speaking to someone much younger than she other than a Makai warlord that was really more than a thousand years her senior, and capable of mass destruction in either the Reikai, Makai, or Ningenkai in any day of the week. 

Getting into the act, Mukuro said overdramatically, "Oh, but where is her mate?" 

The two girls became quiet, and they looked at each other, then at Mukuro, and then back at each other. "Well . . ." started Nohara, "maybe we can get one of the boys to play." 

Hyouchuu pouted, "But the last time we tried that, they ran away!" 

Grinning almost wickedly, Mukuro stated, "Not this time. Those boys will play with us no matter what." 

*-*-*

Something began to knock on his door, and he stirred in Shizuru's arms. She had been coming over a lot more often since the first time that they had fucked. While the sex was fun though, they were splitting off from that more and more since Hiei's futago were becoming so big. The two were more often to be laying in Hiei's bed with Shizuru petting him. Like she had been doing this past - he glanced at the clock - two hours?! 

Sighing in resignation, Hiei sat up carefully away from her embrace, and padded to the door, opening it a crack, "Nani?" 

A doll met him, squeaking out, "Konnichiwa, Hiei!" 

Hiei's eyes bugged out, "Mukuro? Is that you?" 

The doll disappeared, and Mukuro's head popped into the crack of the door that Hiei had made, pouting that he had ruined her fun, "Hai. Come out and play with us, Hiei." 

Suspicious, he asked, "Why should I?" 

She grinned, "Because Kemono is sick and can't play. And we need one more groom." 

"_Oh_, no! I don't _think_ so!" 

She just grinned wider, "I don't care what you think." 

"And neither do I," someone had gotten up from his bed, and opened the door all the way before unceremoniously shoving him out into the hallway with Mukuro. "You're going to play with them whether you like it or not. You need to stop being so lazy anyway." 

He glared up at her indignantly. Ever since that day, Shizuru had also been more . . . he wasn't entirely sure, but she was becoming a little annoying. But it was a nice annoying. Like she cared for him. It all kind of reminded him of Yuusuke and his mate's relationship. Except not so violent. 

Grumbling, Hiei went to the living room with the two women on his heels, and found the unsick children paired off already. Hyouchuu with what looked like a very annoyed Sasuke, and Nohara with a growling Kibaha. Both little girls were smiling brightly. He sat on the couch, and waited for directions from them. 

The first two ceremonies were rather simple - though the boys mumbled through their so-called vows, _maybe_ saying something about loving the dolls like they were supposed to - and Hiei understood the gist of as soon as it got to his and Mukuro's turn. He was required to say something sweet, and then he was to recite some ridiculous mantra from America or some other western country. At least, that's what it looked like at any rate. 

Relieved of their duties, the boys scampered off as soon as they both were finished, and Hyouchuu and Nohara ran after them shouting something about having a house and kids. 

Mukuro chuckled, "Well, it seems that the girls have forgotten about you, Hiei. You're off the hook." She took up, and straightened her clothes, "I need to be heading off back to the Makai anyway." 

The three exchanged goodbyes, and soon it was just Hiei, Shizuru, and the doll that Mukuro had put in the white dress. He stared at it for a moment before plucking it from the ground, and giving it to Shizuru, straddling her laps afterwards. 

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he simply said, "I still want to play." 

Here it was. His moment of truth. He had been planning to say some semblance of these words to her at some point anyway. This way, it would be much easier because it wouldn't be said directly to her, but through a game. Through a doll. 

Shizuru smiled warmly, and held the doll up straight, but he didn't look at the doll as she said in a slightly higher voice, "I love you with all of my heart. You make my day brighter, and I love you for that." 

His lips pursed slightly in thought, gazing into her eyes, and then he murmured softly, "I love you. And I wish that I could say more on the subject, but that's really all I have to say. They say that you're supposed to be able to communicate better after being so long with people after being alone for a long time before that, but . . ." her warm smile began to fade, and she blinked slowly at him, staring back into his red eyes. "It really _isn't_ easy to communicate after everything that I've been through when I've been alone for so long. And I don't think that I'll ever tell you enough like you deserve, but know now that I _do_ love you." He gently moved aside the doll, and leaned in closer to her, "And I really do. Love you, that is." Hiei smiled at her shocked look, "Let's skip that silly little recitation, and get to the best part, ne?" 

"I do," she said immediately, and didn't even bother to wait for him to say it in turn, bringing their lips together quickly. 

*-*-*

Ah! Do you smell that? 

Lemony fresh . . . 

Wow, this was a fast update. 

I'm so close to finishing this fic, and I almost don't want to now! I'm just so in love with it! It's a good thing that I have all these sequel things and a couple prequels in mind or I wouldn't finish just so that I wouldn't have to finish, you know? 

Has anyone else noticed that I like putting Mukuro in weird situations? First the wet, naked girls dancing around her, and now dolls. What next? . . . I have a sudden urge to make her play a board game. 

I like being in Yuusuke's head, and I like making Mukuro do weird shit. Only me, ne? 

Anyway, I have a new url for my website. Gexus.com was pissing me off by not letting me sign on and update. I don't know what was wrong with it, but I had some fic updates to do, so don't go to the old website url, and instead go here: 

Hmmm . . . I think that's just about it. So I'm either going to go to bed, or try writing up some other chapter for another story. Maybe 'The Dragon's Hoard.' I haven't touched that in a _long_ time. 

Ja mata! 

*-*-* 


	7. Question for Readers

. As much as I hate to ask you guys, I'd like to know if I should finish this story up with this next chapter, or wait and finish with the chapter after this.  
  
Alastair 


	8. Third Trimester: Week Two

-- 

Pregnant Fathers 

-- 

Third Trimester: Week Two 

-- 

Gu na Kao - Funny Face 

-- 

Nohara blinked curiously at Hiei's bulging stomach, creeping closer to him bit by bit. It was obvious that she thought that she had gone unnoticed while she stared, however, her arrival had been noted by Hiei quite some time ago, and likely by two of the other three men in the room. She stayed right where she was, crouched just behind Yuusuke's chair, her face peeping out to see. For the time being though, she was ignored. She wasn't really doing anything but look at Hiei, and nothing was wrong with that. 

Kurama was no longer so miserable looking, so involved now with his remaining children, and trying to give them all the love that he could as often as possible. The oaf would have been doing the same with Nohara once she came into the room, but he was a very exhausted oyaji, and had soon started to doze off into a little slumber land. Hiei only let him do this because Kuwabara played with his musume every chance that he got, being that he was often out working, and away for most of the daylight hours. 

Staring through the window to the bright, lively garden outside was Yuusuke. He was doing much better with his musuko, Sasuke. Ever since Kurama had lost his musume to Byakko, Yuusuke seemed to realize on some strange level that he could lose his boy just as easily. And now, he was making up for all of the time that he had surrendered to his insecurities. 

The alleged Prince of the Reikai was no where to be found on this day, seeing as he _did_ still have to work. Otherwise, he would have been forced to come to the meeting. He and Botan were as happy as clams once more, and it was all that Hiei could stand, so he steered clear of them whenever the two were together. 

Not to say that Hiei didn't enjoy his own times together with his feisty Shizuru. 

By this time, Hiei and Kurama were watching Kuwabara snore. Nohara was fidgeting a bit behind Yuusuke's chair, not wanting to disturb their meeting, yet not sure whether this _was_ their meeting. They surely weren't doing anything useful, and for once, Hiei thought that it might have been a good thing for them to go out and play with the children. It was a lazy enough day to do so. Besides, it was quite obvious by the way that Kurama's tail was wagging agitatedly, and how Yuusuke was looking out the window that they wanted to be with their children. 

And well . . . 

Hiei wanted some alone time, yet Nohara seemed to want to talk to him. Deciding that it would make everyone happier in the long run, he cleared his throat to gain the men's - those that were awake - attention, "I think that it's time for a break. Don't you think so too?" 

Yuusuke blinked in shock, and then grinned widely at him, "Great idea, Hiei! I need to get out. I hate being cooped up." 

"Yes," Kurama murmured, "it is getting rather stifling in here." 

"You should get out and get some fresh air too, Hiei," Yuusuke said as he was going out the door. 

"I'll be fine, tantei." 

When the two were out the door, and Kuwabara still snoozing on the chair, Hiei finally made eye contact with Nohara - whom blushed with embarrassment - and smiled, "Meichan, what are you hiding back there for?" 

This said, she ran out from behind Yuusuke's chair, and leapt onto the cushion beside Hiei, peering up at him with her wide, red eyes, "Ojisan, Oneesan said that our itoko-chan are pink! Can I see them? I think she might be lying." 

Now, Hiei understood why Nohara had been waiting there for them to finish up or to at least be noticed. She had been sick for the last week or so, and hadn't been able to get up and see him. Hiei had wanted to go visit her in bed. Yet - between Shizuru's lap, his new favorite thing to do, _everyone's_ (the women had put the Reikai Tantei and Koenma up to it) urges to come to a baby talk with the girls, and his preparations to greet the two new lives within him into the world - he had been too busy to do so. 

While his meichan had been down, his musuko's skin had started to turn from a bright red to a lighter pink, and he had shown all the other children. 

Another odd thing had happened too . . . 

Even though now Nohara was now all better, and running around like the rest of them, Hyouchuu wasn't playing with her as much. Being that she was now used to playing with the boys, the little Yukina clone was acting a bit more boyish. Kuwabara's side was showing up more in the little Koorime than expected. 

If this went on, and Hyouchuu would probably be off training with the boys if they ever chose to go down that route, and Nohara just might be staying at home alone while they all fought. 

But right then, Nohara was gazing up at him, and brushing orange hair out of her eyes as she did so, and she waited for him to comply with her wishes. Hiei chuckled softly at the pleading look on her face, and pulled up his shirt to show them off. 

Pretty, red eyes widened, and she gently placed her hands on the bulge, leaning forward slightly to see them better. The two half hi youkai half Koorime were now a lovely, rosey pink, their dark blue and white hair was growing out, and both hair styles promised to be the same star and flame mix as their oyaji's own hair. They were sleeping at the moment, but Hiei felt one stir a bit before going resting again due to the sudden light shining inside. 

"Ojisan," Nohara exclaimed, "they're so pretty!" 

Despite his best efforts, Hiei's chest swelled with pride at the complement. 

"Yeah," a voice cooed, and Hiei turned to see Shizuru standing in the doorway, "pretty like their oyaji, ne?" 

"Pretty?!" 

Kuwabara stirred from his sleep, but Hiei ignored him, glaring up at Shizuru. 

"Sure, pretty boy. Can't I call my own lover pretty? It's a complement, you know." 

He turned a lovely shade of hot pink, and before he could react to that, Kuwabara did, "_Lover_?! You two . . . ?! Gah! Ew!" 

"Ew, your _face_, itouto!" 

"But it's _Hiei_!" 

"Hey!" Growled Hiei. "You're with my imoutochan; I don't want to hear it!" 

"But - but . . ." he looked between the two, and his face scrunched up, "You're smaller than her!" 

"And Yukina's smaller than you, so?" Hiei countered. 

"Hai, but-" 

Shizuru interrupted him, "But what? Just because the man is smaller than a woman in a relationship doesn't make it wrong, Itouto." 

"But . . . oh, fine! Just don't do anything _weird_ in front of me." 

Hiei grinned, covered Nohara's ears - whom had looked quite confused through most of the sudden conversation - and turned to Shizuru, purring, "Want to fuck on the couch after these two leave?" 

As Kuwabara changed into a sickly green, Shizuru chirped, "Okay!" 

He uncovered Nohara's ears, and she blinked up at them, "What's a lover?" 

"It's like that ningen term boyfriend and girlfriend. Except it sounds more . . . naughty," Shizuru answered for the two men, whom both sighed in relief. 

Nohara squealed, "Sugoi! Shizuru-obasan!" 

She chuckled indulgently, "We're not married . . . yet." She gave Hiei a look as if to dare him to say anything against it, but Hiei only looked back at her contemplatively. 

However, the little Koorime had either not paid attention, or misunderstood those words completely because she ran out of the room, and began to shout, "I got an obasan!" 

Hiei groaned, putting his face into his hands, and shook his head, "I haven't mated with her . . ." _. . . yet,_ something whispered, finishing his sentence. 

Shizuru smiled softly, glancing over in the direction that Nohara had went before sitting beside Hiei, and reaching out to stroke his hair. His initial reaction to this was to curl up to her side, his cheek pressed just above her bosom, and that's just what he did, but this time he found the place just above her heart, listening to her heartbeat. It was a soothing thrumming against his ear - Shizuru's purr - and it made him greatly content to just listen as she ran soft fingers delicately through his hair. Somewhere off to the side, Kuwabara made a vaguely sickened sound. At any other time, Hiei would have turned on him, and bared his fangs or something, but at that moment in time, he was in Shizuru's arms, so no go. 

When Nohara brought in the other adults, Hiei was sprawled over Shizuru's lap, purring up a storm, and loving it. Botan took one step in, and squealed excitedly, "Oh, that's so _cute_!" 

His lover snickered, "He's practically a lamb if you know the right buttons to push." 

Grunting a noncommitable sound at being compared with something that he considered 'good eating,' Hiei barely lifted up his head to glare playfully up at her, "I eat lambs." 

Amused by the attention gained by being in her lap, Hiei soaked it all up, letting Shizuru stroke the nape of his neck, and the others stare at them. 

"Well . . ." Yuusuke finally murmured, "there goes one problem." 

This time around, Hiei really did glare, and at Yuusuke, their fearless leader - whom sweated nervously, and backed away a couple feet for good measure. Hiei snorted, and laid back against Shizuru's lap, "Baka." 

Suddenly, Yuusuke snickered, "Well, at least, next time you won't have to have kids on your own. No more mastubation for _you_!" 

While Keiko thwacked him good over the head, yelling, "Don't use that kind of language in front of little kids!" Yuusuke responded, "What? Japanese?" and got hit harder for his efforts, Hiei screamed, "You watched me do it!" 

Taking the opportunity, Yuusuke sniggered even as his dear, little Keiko found a bat, "I watched you masturbate?" 

Hiei tore at his hair, his fangs bared, and gritting together, "Gah . . . _Yuusuke_ . . ." 

But then Keiko brought the bat down on Yuusuke's head, ending Hiei's problem quite abruptly. 

"Keiko! Where'd you learn to hit like a _semi-truck_?!" 

The beasts came without warning. Ripping through the dojo doors, and snarling wickedly. Kuwabara's musume screamed in terror, and hid behind him, cowering and shaking against his leg. They filled up the broken in doorways, but they could see passed them, and saw that there were still even more youkai filling up the yard. One youkai grinned at her, and licked his chops. Yet another spotted Hiei, and gaped, "Holy shit! The rumors _were_ true! Mukuro's heir got knocked up!" 

Hiei pushed himself to his feet with only a little effort, "And what are you going to do about it?" 

"I'm going to rip you open, and have your brat for dinner!" With that stated, the youkai leapt at Hiei, however a bright, blue beam blasted the creature apart, and then some of the ceiling. 

Turning to growl at Yuusuke, Hiei said, "He was _mine_! He threatened _my_ futago!" 

"Chill out, Hiei, and stay here. You're no good to us the way you are. You're better off just - hey!" 

Hiei ignored the hanyou completely, and decided to carve through the batch of youkai in the room - without his katana. As he sent a particularily nasty ball of flames down a youkai's throat, a pair of glittering crimson orbs looked back over his shoulder at Yuusuke, "You were saying?" 

"You're a smartass, now let's go kick some ass. It's been _way_ too long." 

However, Hiei was already gone, bashing heads together and punching lights out. The other two joined with a loud shout, both youki and reiki flaring excitedly. 

The cool, calm voice of an obviously irate Kurama reached Hiei's ear, and he turned to see Kurama just as he closed large tulips about Kibaha, Kemono, and Hyouchuu to protect them as he went into the thick of them to fight. Kuwabara was fighting at the broken dojo doors, keeping youkai from Yukina, Nohara, and the other women. Except Genkai whom stepped out to see what the fuss was about, saw her broken doors, and blasted apart a few scragglers. Even Koenma was helping out, using the reiki stored in his pacifier to create a barrier to surround himself and those in the dojo. 

Yuusuke was in the dead center of the fray as always, finding new ways to kill, of course, and Hiei wasn't far from his side, wishing that he had his katana, but still ending bothersome youkai lives just as effectively. 

For just one instant Hiei could feel the ties binding the five of them together, and suddenly even his futago were swarming with life. Interconnected with the hi youkai, and Hiei had the fleeting feeling of pain as he realized that he might never feel so close to any of them ever again. He really was an oyaji at that moment: protecting his offspring, his future mate, and even their extended families. 

Hardly a second after that insight into himself, and how he had achieved what he had always wanted - this connection, and sense of well-being with his comrades - a western sword was stabbing for his stomach. Hiei just barely dodged the assault, flashing toward him with the speed left to him in his slightly larger state, and numbed the youkai's wrist, causing him to drop the western style sword. 

"Those," Hiei said as he advanced menacingly on the youkai, "were my musuko futago that you were just trying to kill." He curled his hands around the fiend's neck, and began to wring it like a wet towel, "I'm going to shred you apart. What have you got to say for yourself?" 

The youkai gasped for air, his claws trying to pry apart Hiei's hands, spitting out at him, "Stupid . . . bastard . . . you're going . . . to _die_ . . ." 

Using the youkai that he was choking as a shield, Hiei spun around to face another that had picked up the western sword. This new youkai struck, and - with a quick upward slash that shattered the unprepared sword with the sheer force of it - the youkai had done his job, and the youkai choking in his grasp was sliced in half from nearly two meters away, the very wind of the strike powerful enough and sharp enough to dice. Suddenly, the youkai that had attacked was the very last invader in the yard, and Yuusuke dealt with him by way of Rei Gun probably before the hanyou even realized this fact, and then - just as suddenly - there weren't any more attackers. 

_Itai, itai, itete . . ._

Eyes widening in surprise, Hiei lightly touched his head, dropping the halved youkai in the process, "What the . . . ?" 

From the dojo, Yukina cried out to him, "Oniisan! The futago!" 

Immediately, Hiei looked down at his stomach, absently noting that his shirt had been cut by the wind slash as he hurriedly lifted up his shirt to check on his musuko. There was no blood or gore to be found within, he was relieved to discover, but the sack containing his musuko had been cut into. As the others rushed over to see him, Hiei gauged the damage. His musuko seemed to be fine, awakened by Hiei's quick movements, and both looking extremely like their oyaji with their cranky faces. Hiei could feel them squirm around, quite annoyed for being awakened. 

_Itai . . ._

The sack hadn't even been cut into that much. The cut had gone through all the way, but then it had been a thin membrane to begin with . . . and then his eyes spotted the tiny wash of pink in the otherwise clear, milky-like liquid near the cut of the sack. He tracked it to the denser red inside, and found it to be coming from a tiny slice from one of his musuko's right hand. 

The cut musuko looked ready to whimper or something because he craned his neck as much as he could in his cramped little home to peer up at Hiei. It was a look of such heart-wrenching confusion that Hiei desperately wanted to draw him into his arms. It almost appeared as if he were asking Hiei, "Why did this happen to me, Oyaji?" 

The others looked the three of them over carefully, and Yukina murmured, "Oh, Oniisan, are they all right?" 

Hiei couldn't stop himself, and began to laugh. A deepthroated, long laugh that came from the bottom of his stomach. His whole body was shaking so hard that he had to sit down, wrapping his arms around the bulging sack. The whole group of them were staring down at him oddly, and Yukina - the woman with the braver front in front of a hysterically laughing Hiei - tried to talk to him again, kneeling in front of him, "Oniisan? Why are you laughing?" 

Choking back his belly laugh for a moment, he gestured down to the cut musuko, "Just look at him! He looks so put off!" 

Indeed, the little thing's face was screwing up in confusion, a woeful little appearance to his eyes as if trying out the Bambi eyes bit. Soon Yuusuke chuckled, "He kind of looks like you when I make fun of you about 'pizza face.' Except _much_ nicer looking." 

Not even aware of Yuusuke's little joke, Hiei continued to laugh, though it started to taper off slowly until he looked as content as a cat, leaning back up against Shizuru's leg, and purring yet again from Shizuru's fingers massaging his shoulders. 

Before Yuusuke could properly annoy Hiei, Keiko took up a shout, "Where's my baby?!" 

A quick overlook of their present vicinity showed no Sasuke so his oyaji, a beautiful youko, an oafish ningen, and a fat Koorime - whom had to roll back onto his feet - set out to look for him. 

There was no sign of Sasuke anywhere else in the dojo either. The boy had disappeared completely. His dark brown head not where it usually was found. However, they did not stop looking. Last that Hiei saw of Yuusuke, he had been searching in the woods, eyes shining slightly from unshed tears as he mumbled, "Shit, this isn't happening. Where is he?" 

They didn't hear from him again until he screamed bloody murder. Coming from inside of the dojo. Everyone had been outside looking for the five-year-old - Koenma, the women and their children still looking in the yard of the dojo while the tantei looked out abroad. 

Apparently, no one had gone inside, and no one - not even the Reikai Tantei - had felt earlier how the youkai had disguised his youki and Sasuke's own much smaller reiki. Just as Sasuke came ripping out of the dojo - with a youkai chasing after him, and snarling - Yuusuke and the others were there in almost a flash upon hearing the scream of terror. Yuusuke's musuko leapt into his ofukuro's arms, whom clutched to him tightly as the youkai quickly closed in on them. Though before both ofukuro and musuko could be torn limb from limb, a foot was planted non too kindly in his face. The foot of a furious Urameshi Yuusuke. 

From then on, it all seemed to slow to a crawl. While Yuusuke landed and before the youkai could fly away from the force of the kick, Yuusuke rammed his elbow down on his head, causing the youkai to crash into the ground. Not that the second blow was needed though. Due to the extreme force of the impact, the youkai had been killed from just the barest touch to his temple. 

It seemed that Yuusuke didn't care though because then he grabbed the hair on the back of his head, and started to punch him viciously. 

"Oi! Yuusuke!" Kurama called out, but the words fell on deaf ears. 

Next Kuwabara tried, "Urameshi! Stop it already! He's dead!" 

Only then did Yuusuke stop, and he looked up at this small family. Without any hesitation, Sasuke jumped out of Keiko's arms, bouncing up into his oyaji's instead; Keiko coming only a split second after him, embracing her shujin tightly. 

Yukina cried out first to interrupt them, "Oniisan! We forgot about your futago!" 

Even Hiei had been a bit distracted from his futago. The sack _had_ been sliced through enough to scratch his musuko after all. At that time, the liquid substance inside was slowly oozing out, and Hiei pulled up his shirt again to let Yukina kneel in front of him. Her hands glowed as she checked on the state of the sack, and she pulled away a few moments later, frowning softly in thought. 

"Are they all right?" Hiei murmured softly. 

"I can heal the nerves that are lined on the sack, but not the sack itself, Oniisan." 

"But my musuko are okay?" 

"Hai . . . for now." She paused a second to let that sink in, "Oniisan, they need that sack to hold in those fluids. It's part what's keeping them so safe from infections, and the sack is the thicker defence." 

Hiei held his hands protectively over the clean slice in the sack, and doing so kept some more of the thick liquid in, "I'm not going to lose them, am I?" 

"I don't know, but" - when Hiei began to pale, Yukina rushed on - "there aren't any infections that I have detected yet, and they might even be just fine if you make sure to keep the cut closed. If this goes on, at the very least, we might have to take them out early." 

The color returned a bit at that thought, and he asked excitedly, "Can't we take them out now? Wouldn't it be easier?" 

"That wouldn't be safe for your musuko. It would be safer if we waited another week, which would be closer to the due date since it seems that your pregnancy is almost the same as a Koorime's. You have to remember though," she softly insisted, "to keep the sack as clean as possible. And you should probably bandage it up to help keep the liquid inside." 

--

When the day was finally over, and all of the excitement calmed down to a more normal day at Genkai's dojo, Hiei would have been found in his room just as he was applying the last adhesive tape to the bandage on his sack. He smiled and waved down at his bared musuko whom smiled back, and seemed to be trying to wave back by wriggling their fingers in the place that they were now stuck. The lights had been dimmed, and Hiei was settled back in his bed, the blanket being pulled up halfway over his stomach. Laying his back up against the wall for a bit of comfort, Hiei's hands splayed out over his musuko, stroking the places where their heads were. 

As Hiei began to talk to them, the two radiated the sun with their smiles, squirming happily in their confined space, "I love you both so much. My beautiful boys. My treasures." 

Hiei gently pressed his fingers down, and wonderously, the uncut musuko got his hand free from the area in front of him enough to press back up. Soon after the cut musuko followed his example, their tiny hands feeling along the sack to push back at his fingers. Seeing how _much_ more smaller their hands were from his, Hiei had to agree that it would be much too soon to take his children from their - currently - safe haven. 

They were growing at a phenomenal rate this third, and final trimester, and one week would surely be enough time for them to grow more. Their lungs would be stronger, and would have a heavier weight. In fact, Hiei planned to try to fatten them up a bit more this next week. It wasn't as if it would hurt them either to get some more baby fat on those bones. Though his futago already looked plump enough for his tastes. 

If it saved their lives though, Hiei would eat an elephant for them. 

"Do me a favor," he said, and they looked ready to squeal their glee at the sound of their oyaji's deep voice. "Live for me because don't think that I can live without you . . . and don't tell anyone about the things I did in this room." 

Without any more ceremony, Hiei proceeded to do one of his more favorite activities with his unborn musuko. 

He made funny faces at them. 

--

Okay! Done! This chapter anyway. You all asked for me to wait and just write this one, so I did. And here the sucker is! 

Now then, I have some RPing to do. After that though, you must understand that I also have some classes to try to pass. And two projects to try to do. One of which, I likely should have attempted to ask my teacher about earlier. 

No, wait . . . three projects. 

So, in other words, you most likely won't be seeing the next chapter of this until summer. 

Ja mata! 

-- 


	9. Third Trimester: Week Three

-- 

Pregnant Fathers 

-- 

Third Trimester: Week Three 

-- 

Atatakasa - Warmth 

-- 

Hiei found himself scowling down on his bulging belly, once again quite annoyed with the predicament that he always seemed to find himself in every morning for as long as he could remember - which was in actuality only the past few months that he had been pregnant with his boys. He poked it distastefully, thankful that he was going to be losing it all that very day. 

Now if only he could get out of bed to do just that. 

Swaying side to side was doing nothing for him really, so Hiei stopped this rocking motion for a moment before he growled out, "I'm fat . . ." 

Trying to kick out his legs and onto his feet would probably not do much either, but he tried anyway, not quite succeeding, and just ending up further up on the bed. He gripped his blanket then, and tried to pull himself off to the floor, but that just pulled up the blanket. Blinking in slight confusion, Hiei looked at the betraying blanket. It had usually worked for him in the past. So now what? 

He opted calling out for any of the others, but scowled at that notion, not wanting the others to know just how fat he really and truly was. Stopping when he realized that he was rocking from side to side again, Hiei snarled silently before trying to just sit up. 

And then fell back, "Oof!" 

Now awake, his musuko both decided to tell him that they didn't like that by kicking at him. 

"Oi, stop that. You're not helping matters," he eyed the door, once again thinking of shouting out for maybe just Yukina or Genkai, but yet again though better of it. He idly tapped his fingers on his stomach, soothing his futago in the process, and then braced his elbows back on the bed, trying to push himself up again. He gritted out as he did this, "How the hell am I supposed to do this . . . ?" 

When he fell onto the bed again, he half whined, "And why is it so hard?" 

He stared up at the ceiling as he patted his upset musuko again, feeling their little feet and arms strike at his palms. If they would do that any harder, the two just might break open that cut that hadn't quite healed up yet. He lifted up his shirt to look down at them, and then gazed at the wide bandage strapped over the slice in the sack for his musuko. 

It hadn't really healed at all, in fact. His cut musuko seemed to be fine though. Only a small scar remained of the attack, and he was always peering at the paler part of his skin. 

Kaibun. That was his musuko's name. 

He smiled softly as Kaibun seemed to lose interest in trying to punish his oyaji for doing that awkward movement again, and tried to push his sibling away from him. Hiei chuckled, "Oi, Kaibun, don't push Hajikami." 

Hajikami - the futago which never seemed to lose his energy - seemed to recognize his name, and turned his head just barely enough to look back up at Hiei before grinning almost impishly up at Hiei. Kaibun's face screwed up when he was being ignored by Hiei's other musuko, and soon tried kicking at him too. Both of them squirmed within the sack connected to Hiei's belly, and he began to laugh. 

Slightly inspired by his little Kaibun's want to get away from another's skin, Hiei looked up at the edge of his bed which was touching the wall. He reached up, and grabbed it, pulling himself closer to the wall. At the same time, he strived to push himself upwards into a sitting position. After a few strong, firm tugs, Hiei's head and shoulders were leaning up against the wall, and he smiled triumphantly as he was able to push himself up and sit up straight. 

"Today's the day," he mused as he finally took his first steps of the day. He laid one hand on his stomach which was once again covered by his shirt which had fallen back into place when he had gotten up, "Today's the day that I get to hold you in my arms, my dearest ones. My dear Hajikami and Kaibun." 

--

Once he was in clean clothes, Hiei headed slowly to the kitchen to look for Yukina, trying not to look so excited. Yukina was bustling about in the kitchen, but for once it was not because she was cooking - Genkai was the one cooking that morning. 

She spotted Hiei standing in the doorway, and then cried out in shock, "Oniisan! I forgot!" Going to his side, Yukina patted his shoulder as if to reassure him, "Gomen nasai, Oniisan, but I have to go see to the musume of a neighboring shrine's miko. She's been very ill for the past few days." Kissing his cheek, Yukina wandered back into the kitchen to gather more herbs, "I'll be back as soon as I can. I don't want you to try getting your futago out without me to help with anything that could go wrong, okay, Oniisan? That might be too dangerous for them." 

Hiei nodded numbly, absently stroking his stomach. Yukina stopped packing her little bags, and looked back at him. 

"Oniisan, I should be back soon. You've been waiting for so long, I think that you can do another hour or so of waiting." 

Finally, Hiei nodded, and pecked her cheek, "Doumo, Imoutochan." 

She smiled warmly before she flitted about in the kitchen once again. Sighing softly, Hiei went into the living room to lounge as he waited for Genkai to finish making breakfast. Just as his eyes drifted shut, he felt a soft breath tickle the hair around his ear. He smiled softly, and purred, "Shizuru-chan, what are you doing?" 

"Nothing, Hi-chan." 

When Yuusuke made a kissing sound in Hiei's ear, the Koorime leapt to his feet in a rage, "Bakayarou!" 

The man only snickered, and gently nudged at Hiei's shoulder, "Aw! That's so cute! Hiei can purr!" 

Snarling for a response, he stepped closer to Yuusuke, "Can Yuusuke run?!" 

He cackled right back at him, "Can Hiei keep up?" 

Hiei paused momentarily, weighing the consequences of chasing Yuusuke around, before snorting, and sitting back down, "I'm not risking anything, especially not today of all days." 

The ningen blinked in surprise, "That's today?" Then he grinned before he even recieved an answer, "Sugoi!" 

In a slightly sour mood - due to being unable to properly bash Yuusuke's face in - Hiei turned away from him, watching the door to see if Shizuru was there yet. 

Just as his Shizuru stepped inside, Genkai called out, "Fill 'er up!" 

Hiei smirked at the suggestion, and she winked slyly at him. Helping him to his feet, Shizuru kissed his nose, "Ohayou gozaimasu, Hiei." Then she leaned down further to lightly peck the top of his stomach, "Ohayou, futago." Feeling his musuko stir from the slight pressure, Hiei grinned, happy that his children seemed to recognize Shizuru. "Big day today," she murmured to him as she straightened up. 

"Hai," he smiled, and tugged down on her hair to bring her face to his, pecking her lips. "Thanks for being here." 

"Of course." As Shizuru began to stroke his hair, they went into the little dining room, and she asked, "So when are they coming out?" 

"Yukina's going to be out for a few hours, so I'm not sure," they sat at the table, and Hiei sighed softly, poking at some eggs. "I was kind of hoping that they'd . . . well, be out by now." 

"Can it be?!" Yuusuke was right behind them as they had been walking, and had just sat across from the two at the table, "Is Hiei" - a fake gasp - "having a normal conversation?!" 

He bared his fangs at the hanyou, becoming a bit redder in appearance, "Baka! Urusai! Of course, I can have normal conversations!" 

"News to me," Yuusuke snickered. "So when are they coming out?" 

Turning back to his normal shade of pale, Hiei sighed, "Yukina's out, so she wanted me to wait for her to come back before we tried anything." 

"Right, right," he said. "We don't want to lose any of them." 

Genkai glanced over at them from the corner of her eye, "So what are you going to name them, Hiei? You haven't told us yet." 

"Yeah!" Yuusuke shouted. "You didn't tell us! So tell!" 

Crossing his arms, Hiei lifted his nose, "Iya." 

"Aw! Come on! Tell us!" Yuusuke edged closer, leaning over across the table, "We got to call them something other than Hiei's futago or musuko!" 

He snorted, "How about this: I don't want to yet." 

"_Tell_!" 

"Iya!" 

"Now!" 

"You can't make me!" 

"_I'll_ name them then!" 

"You can't do that! _I'm_ their oyaji!" 

"Temporary names," Yuusuke grinned. "Until you tell us what their names are, I'm going to call them . . . Chitchai and Chippoke!" 

"Iya! Don't you dare!" 

"I think that I can do whatever I want, especially when you ain't telling us Chitchai and Chippoke's names." 

"Stop calling them that!" 

Yuusuke's smile just grew, "Who? Chitchai and Chippoke?" 

His eye beginning to twitch, Hiei gritted through his fangs, "If I tell you, then you'll stop with calling them those ridiculous names?" 

"Calling who what? Chitchai and Chippoke? I thought that they were wonderful names!" 

Rolling his eyes, and sighing, Hiei leaned back in his chair, "Hajikami and Kaibun. Happy now?" 

Blinking in surprise, Yuusuke asked, "Ginger?" 

"Mountain Ash," Hiei corrected. 

"Oh . . ." he smiled, "that's . . . pretty cool." 

"Hontou ni?" 

"Hontou ni!" 

Hiei lowered his head a bit in shock, _He approves of the names?_

He glanced up at Shizuru whom smiled at him, "I like those names. We can call them Kai-chan and Kami-chan." 

Blinking, he asked, "You like the names, so you warp them?" 

What Hiei said went over Yuusuke's head blissfully, as he got up to be at Hiei's side, "Kami-chan and Kai-chan it is!" Unceremoniously tugging up Hiei's shirt, he smiled at the dozing futago, "Ohayou, Kami-chan! Ohayou, Kai-chan!" 

"Gah! Baka! Don't wake them up!" But it was too late, the two's eyes flickered open, and they both gazed up at Yuusuke, a bit confused looking. Hajikami then seemed to recognize Yuusuke because then he beamed brightly, and pressed at the sack's wall in greeting. 

Yuusuke poked back at his little palm, and cooed, "Hey, little guy. Oi, Hiei, which one are you going to call this guy?" 

"Hajikami." 

"You think that you'll be able to tell them apart?" 

"Un," Hiei began, "Kaibun has a little scar from a week ago. And they can't move around much inside of me anyway. It'll be easy to tell them apart." 

By this time, the others, except for Yukina, had all arrived in the dining room, and Koenma was even there to see Hiei's futago show up. Hiei looked up at Koenma in his teenage form, trying to figure out what his mood was - he was the only one between all of them that would know if his Hajikami and Kaibun would live to see tomorrow. The kami was smiling with all of the rest, and when his eyes met with Hiei's, he smiled wider, and one of the corners of Hiei's lips turned up in a half grin. 

Relaxing slightly, and reassured by Koenma's grin, Hiei redirected his attention to the others whom began to talk to his musuko. 

When Hiei had looked away, Koenma's smile disappeared, and was replaced by a soft, thoughtful frown. 

--

By the time that it was starting to get dark, Yukina still hadn't come back yet. After lunch, Kuwabara had gone by the shrine to find out why, and called them to tell them about the bothersome youkai possessing the miko's musume. He was going to stay in case the youkai tried to possess someone else after being exorcized from the young girl. A few hours later, the miko called to tell them that Kuwabara had been possessed, and that Yukina and the miko's musume was trying to get him off of the ceiling to exorcize the youkai again. 

And Hiei was lounging back in a chair in his room, staring outside at the stars. So he had to wait another day . . . _No big deal,_ he thought to himself, _it's not like they're going anywhere anytime soon._

He patted his stomach gently, feeling the bandage wrapped around the slice in the sack on his stomach. After another moment of some more staring outside at nothing in general, Hiei got up, and went to his dresser, retrieving the little first aid kit in his top drawer. Shifting through the contents, he grabbed some more gauze and medical tape. It wouldn't do to have the bandage already on his stomach infect his futago with something, and have the two of them come out sick. 

Or maybe Hiei was just trying to find something to do to occupy his time. 

One of the musuko was pressing at the place covered by the gauze, and he smiled softly, "I know what you want, musuko. You want that dirty bandage changed, ne?" Feeling the musuko push harder on the bandage area, Hiei frowned softly, pulling his shirt up to look down on them, and Kaibun looked away from his sibling, peering back up at him. Hajikami's little hands were still pressed up against the covered area when he too looked up, "Hajikami, you shouldn't do that. You might fall out." After tugging off his shirt, and bandana, Hiei reclined back in his chair, and sighed, pushing two fingers back at one of Hajikami's hands, which caused a radiant smile from the boy. "You'll be out soon enough," he soothed. 

Only when his musuko got tired of pushing at the bandage, and settled back against Hiei's abs, did Hiei strip away the bandage. He reached down over the armrest of the chair for the new bandage, and frowned to himself when he didn't find it on the first swoop. Looking over, he reached down, and grabbed the gauze and medical tap. 

Thus, when he sat back up, he was shocked to find a little hand sticking out of the slice in his stomach. 

Hiei froze, staring in amazement as the little hand scrunched into a fist, and spread back out again, seemingly testing the air. It was Hajikami's tiny, little left hand reaching to the outside, and the boy looked up at his stunned oyaji before another impish smile overtook his features. 

Hajikami squirmed about in the new space allowed by half of his arm sticking outside, and Kaibun scowled slightly at him whenever he seemed to unnecessarily rub up against him. Finally, being greatly annoyed by Hajikami, Kaibun also took advantage of the new room given to him, and started pushing on his shoulder. His own face scrunching up in annoyance, Hajikami tried to push back at him with the hand that wasn't occupying Hiei's attention. 

Slowly, almost as if trying not to startle his futago, Hiei braced the bottom of the sack with his arm, and the Hajikami stopped pushing back at Kaibun to look curiously at the arm. Glancing up at Hiei momentarily, his musuko reached up with his other hand to shove it through the newly found hole, and stretched down to plant both little grasping hands firmly on Hiei's forearm. A smile broke out on his oyaji's face, and Hiei thought that he saw hiruiseki laying about on the floor around him. 

However, he dared not look away from his futago, afraid that if he were to even _blink_, that this whole thing - all the months pregnant with his futago musuko, and his precious boys themselves - would all disappear when he looked away. 

The slice in the sack began to tear apart as Hajikami continued to push out of the sack, the top of his head trying to peek out. Kaibun was inadvertantly helping him because the annoyed musuko kept pushing up at him, and even began using his feet when there was enough room. Not to say that Hiei was just letting his musuko hang halfway out of the sack. Hiei was helping cradle his head as he was slowly being shoved out, the sack ripping in half, and the fluids inside oozing out with his little Hajikami. 

With his head entirely free, Hajikami took his first breath of air, and starting coughing up those same fluids. When he had coughed that all up, he began to whine slightly, grabbing around Hiei's arm as if for support. Half of the fluid inside gone, Hiei could hear the first little whimpers and coughs from Kaibun too as air seeped inside. 

When Kaibun stopped pushing Hajikami out to try to get closer to Hiei, his oyaji took the hint that they were both making those little pitiful noises because of the air chilling their wet bodies. He pulled apart the sack himself to get Hajikami out, and cradled him to his chest with one arm, reaching down to pull Kaibun up along beside him. 

He immediately rose his body temperature to bring back warmth to his musuko. And though this likely wasn't what he had wanted to do in the end, Kaibun cuddled up to Hajikami's side, and his ani did the same back, leaning against each other for warmth. Hiei could feel their senses try to copy what he was doing, and Kaibun seemed to get it first, his temperature skyrocketing, at a heat that would singe the hair of anything other than a hi youkai. A few seconds right after him, Hajikami rose his temperature too, but not by much, seeing as he already had two hot heat sources about him. 

Content, Hiei began to purr hard, rocking them gently against his chest. Again, the two copied him, soft trills vibrating his chest. Their little fingers intertwined, and their eyes began to drift shut. Yet, Hiei kept awake, holding a silent vigil over his dear musuko, and stayed that way long into the night until morning when he was found. 

--

Merely a month later, found them all greeting another tiny being into the world. The new musume of Koenma and Botan, Hanashi, a pretty little beauty with jade eyes, and brown hair. 

Hiei had stayed with his musuko at the shrine to wait for his baby buddy to give birth, and - a few days after her birth - the two of them were peering inside of Hanashi's crib, Hajikami and Kaibun inside with her. 

Hajikami had no interest whatsoever in Hanashi, and was currently rolling onto his stomach, and then back onto his back, obviously amusing himself - and doing a pretty good job of it. Kaibun, however, took one look at her, and then did his half crawl half wriggle over to her before carefully sitting up to stare down at her. One little hand - his hand with the scar - clumsily patted her head, sometimes fisting some of her soft, downy hair in his hand, but he didn't tug at all. 

Behind him, Hiei heard Koenma murmur, "What if he tries to rip her head off?" 

"Ch', they're not that strong," Hiei said, and Hajikami squealed at the sound of his oyaji's voice. "Even youkai have to train to become strong, you know. Youkai just gain their strength faster. That's why Hajikami and Kaibun can almost crawl now." 

Suddenly, Hanashi's eyes fluttered open, and she blinked in surprise at the other baby sitting beside her, and he blinked back, pulling his hand away. She stretched her own little hand out, and took his, pulling it into her mouth to gnaw on. Kaibun squawked indignantly, trying to get his hand out of her mouth before he gave up, and laid down beside her, taking her other hand, and popping it into his own mouth. Smiling around his fingers, Hanashi kicked her little feet happily, and was soon suckling contentedly on his hand along with Kaibun, both of them drifting into a gentle sleep. 

Until Hajikami began squealing again, and waving his arms wildly up at Hiei, causing them to cry. 

-- 

Owari 

-- 

sighs 

. . . Damn, it's over now. 

Ah, well, there's more shit to this story anyway. I should really cry when the whole _arc_ ends! 

Anything to say . . . surprisingly enough, I can't think of anything else to say, except: finally! Almost a whole year worth of writing this fic. is amazed that she lasted that long 

Ja mata! 

Alastair 

-- 


End file.
